Smith Salley Wealth Management Has $66.72 Million Stake in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Smith Salley Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 3.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 273,963 shares of the information services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,965 shares during the quarter. Alphabet comprises 3.4% of Smith Salley Wealth Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Smith Salley Wealth Management’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $66,724,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lewis Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Alphabet by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC now owns 19,636 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $4,782,000 after buying an additional 1,401 shares during the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 14.5% during the third quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,094 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,971,000 after acquiring an additional 1,023 shares during the period. Kingsman Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 8.9% during the third quarter. Kingsman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 5,820 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $1,417,000 after acquiring an additional 477 shares during the last quarter. Ascent Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 64.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 95,368 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $23,227,000 after acquiring an additional 37,354 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Alphabet by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 17,101 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $4,165,000 after purchasing an additional 503 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 27.26% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $315.32 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $302.26 and a 200-day moving average of $244.72. The firm has a market cap of $3.80 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. Alphabet Inc. has a twelve month low of $142.66 and a twelve month high of $328.67.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The information services provider reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.29 by $0.58. The business had revenue of $102.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $99.90 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.23% and a return on equity of 35.00%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.12 EPS. Analysts forecast that Alphabet Inc. will post 8.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio is 8.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on GOOG. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Alphabet from $300.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Rosenblatt Securities set a $279.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Alphabet in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alphabet currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $313.04.

Insider Buying and Selling at Alphabet

In related news, CAO Amie Thuener O’toole sold 2,778 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $312.30, for a total value of $867,569.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 8,962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,798,832.60. This trade represents a 23.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Kent Walker sold 17,829 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $314.89, for a total transaction of $5,614,173.81. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 42,972 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,531,453.08. This represents a 29.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 195,465 shares of company stock worth $57,056,497. 12.99% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI momentum & monetization — Coverage highlights faster Gemini adoption, stronger YouTube/search integration and improving ad + cloud monetization that underpin revenue upside and multiple expansion. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and institutional backing — Several firms have raised targets and big holders (including UBS AM and Berkshire additions reported last quarter) continue to build positions, supporting sentiment and limiting downside. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity/earnings plays — Several retail/strategy pieces outline income and defined‑risk option trades (one‑month OTM puts, butterfly spreads) ahead of earnings; these signal increased short‑term options flow and hedging but not a directional fundamental change. Butterfly spread idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term tech positioning — Pieces comparing legacy tech vs. pure‑play quantum note Alphabet as a lower‑risk way to get quantum/AI exposure, which appeals to investors preferring large‑cap stability over speculative small caps. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling headlines — Recent director and executive stock sales have been reported (SEC filings / press coverage); while routine for executives, high‑profile sell activity can weigh on near‑term sentiment. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory / lobbying overhang — New lobbying disclosures and reports of DOJ interest in company practices are drawing attention; escalation of enforcement or broad probes would increase volatility and could pressure multiples. Article

About Alphabet

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.