Candriam S.C.A. Acquires 54,474 Shares of Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

Candriam S.C.A. grew its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 6.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 859,128 shares of the information services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 54,474 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 1.3% of Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $246,449,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Trending Headlines about Alphabet

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Alphabet (GOOG) to a Strong Buy, citing improving earnings expectations and bullish near-term sentiment. Alphabet (GOOG) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Alphabet’s AI and cloud outlook, with earnings preview articles pointing to Google Cloud and ad strength as potential drivers of another beat when results are reported on July 22. Google Stock Earnings Preview: Can Google Cloud Power Alphabet’s Next Earnings Beat?
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports framed Alphabet as a preferred AI and digital advertising name, noting resilient search traffic, strong ad monetization, and growing investor interest in its TPU and cloud strategy. Bet on 4 Cloud Computing Stocks to Hedge Against Volatile Markets
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage also pointed out that Alphabet is a trending stock and has recently outperformed the broader market, reflecting strong investor attention rather than a specific new catalyst. Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) Exceeds Market Returns: Some Facts to Consider
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet also drew favorable commentary from Jim Cramer and other market voices, who described Google’s long-term contract and AI position as compelling, but these were mostly opinion-based rather than new business updates. Jim Cramer Reveals Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)’s “Best Contract in the World”
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure remains a headwind, with Google facing a new AI training lawsuit from publishers and separate scrutiny in Switzerland and Germany over Android search defaults and AI Overviews. Google faces another AI training lawsuit from major publishers
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns about data-center expansion and related costs also weighed on sentiment after New York imposed a moratorium on certain data centers, potentially affecting hyperscaler growth plans. AMZN, GOOGL, META: Hyperscalers Hit as New York State Imposes Moratorium on Data Centers

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John Kent Walker sold 8,998 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $349.29, for a total transaction of $3,142,911.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 75,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,298,044.10. This represents a 10.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Frances Arnold sold 112 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $351.28, for a total value of $39,343.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 18,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,615,656.24. The trade was a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 159,415 shares of company stock worth $7,672,279 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Alphabet from $425.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Alphabet in a report on Monday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $395.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on Alphabet from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $378.53.

Alphabet Stock Performance

NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $357.33 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Alphabet Inc. has a 1-year low of $181.50 and a 1-year high of $404.47. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $368.65 and its 200-day moving average is $335.92. The stock has a market cap of $4.33 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.23.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The information services provider reported $5.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $2.43. The company had revenue of $109.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $106.96 billion. Alphabet had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 37.92%.The firm’s revenue was up 21.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.81 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 14.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Alphabet Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 8th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 8th. This is a positive change from Alphabet’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.71%.

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.