Morgan Stanley Cuts Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) Price Target to $400.00

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) had its price objective cut by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $415.00 to $400.00 in a report issued on Thursday. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the information services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price indicates a potential upside of 26.46% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $425.00 price objective (up from $405.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $379.00 target price (down from $400.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research upgraded Alphabet from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Pivotal Research boosted their target price on Alphabet from $470.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Alphabet has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $408.27.

Alphabet Trading Down 7.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:GOOG traded down $25.60 during trading on Thursday, reaching $316.31. 18,257,247 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 21,381,564. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.83 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.23. Alphabet has a 52-week low of $188.70 and a 52-week high of $404.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The business’s fifty day moving average is $363.69 and its 200-day moving average is $337.49.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $6.23. Alphabet had a net margin of 37.92% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $117.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.31 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 24.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Alphabet will post 14.34 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Alphabet news, Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $351.28, for a total transaction of $39,343.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 18,833 shares in the company, valued at $6,615,656.24. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 87,475 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.75, for a total value of $2,077,531.25. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 159,415 shares of company stock valued at $7,672,279 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alphabet

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Alphabet during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Alphabet during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Towne Trust Company N.A lifted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 34.0% in the fourth quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 134 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 27.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet delivered a strong Q2 beat, with revenue, EPS, and cloud growth all topping expectations, reinforcing the strength of Search, YouTube, and Google Cloud. Google quarterly cloud revenue growth beats expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Google Cloud momentum and rising Gemini usage suggest Alphabet’s AI investments are beginning to show returns, which could support longer-term growth. Alphabet Beats on Cloud Revenue, Posts Strong Gemini Usage
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with several firms maintaining buy ratings and raising price targets after the earnings report. Tickerreport.com
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet also announced new, cheaper Gemini model updates and work on efficiency-improving AI chips, which may help offset future infrastructure costs if execution improves. Google releases three new Gemini models — but no 3.5 Pro
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are worried Alphabet’s AI capex spree is getting too large, especially after the company raised spending guidance and reported negative free cash flow. Alphabet’s cash burn raises alarm for Big Tech as AI spending climbs
• Negative Sentiment: Alphabet also faces added regulatory pressure after the EU hit Google with a roughly $1 billion antitrust fine over Search and Play Store practices. Google hit with $1 billion EU fine, first under landmark rules

Alphabet Company Profile

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is a multinational technology holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. Formed in 2015 through a corporate restructuring of Google, Alphabet serves as the parent to Google LLC and a portfolio of businesses collectively known as “Other Bets.” Google was originally founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Alphabet is led by CEO Sundar Pichai, who oversees Google and the broader company while the founders remain prominent shareholders and influential figures in the company’s history.

Alphabet’s core business centers on internet search and advertising, with Google Search and the company’s ad platforms (including Google Ads and AdSense) generating the majority of revenue by connecting advertisers with consumers worldwide.