NINE MASTS CAPITAL Ltd Trims Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOG

NINE MASTS CAPITAL Ltd trimmed its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 96.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,020 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 230,884 shares during the period. NINE MASTS CAPITAL Ltd’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $2,834,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in GOOG. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in Alphabet during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the 4th quarter worth $45,000. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on GOOG shares. Freedom Capital raised Alphabet from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Alphabet from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $395.00 target price (down from $445.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Alphabet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of Alphabet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $415.55.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Frances Arnold sold 82 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $337.71, for a total value of $27,692.22. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 18,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,414,801.45. This trade represents a 0.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder 2019 Gp L.L.C. Gv sold 118,138 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.90, for a total value of $2,232,808.20. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 451,925 shares of company stock worth $12,371,544. Insiders own 12.99% of the company’s stock.

Alphabet Stock Performance

Shares of Alphabet stock opened at $335.31 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.10 trillion, a PE ratio of 16.84, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $346.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $340.71. Alphabet Inc. has a one year low of $232.38 and a one year high of $404.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 2.72.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The information services provider reported $9.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $6.24. Alphabet had a net margin of 54.77% and a return on equity of 51.32%. The firm had revenue of $119.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $116.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.31 EPS. Alphabet’s revenue was up 24.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 20.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alphabet Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 7th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.42%.

Key Alphabet News

Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Alphabet’s AI expansion remains the main bullish catalyst. WeatherNext 3 is being integrated into Search, Maps and Gemini, while new voice-driven Gemini features are rolling out in Gmail, Docs and Keep, creating potential for broader user engagement and monetization. Alphabet Just Gave Search, Maps and Gemini a New AI Advantage
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is building around Google Cloud, AI services, hardware and long-term earnings growth. Wolfe Research named Alphabet a top pick for 2027, while other coverage highlights strong recent Cloud growth and a median price target well above current trading levels. Alphabet Stock Opinions on Strong Cloud Growth Prospects
• Positive Sentiment: A federal judge declined to force a breakup of Google’s ad-technology business, reducing the most severe regulatory risk, although operational restrictions remain. The decision also supports Alphabet’s ability to retain its existing ad-tech infrastructure. Google Spared From Ad-Business Breakup
• Neutral Sentiment: Alphabet’s clean-energy partnerships, including Google-backed battery storage and geothermal projects, strengthen power availability for data centers but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Google’s New Energy Project Gives Eos Energy a Key Technology Validation
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that Alphabet’s roughly $44.9 billion quarterly capital expenditure pushed free cash flow negative for the first time since its IPO. The spending may support future AI and Cloud returns, but it increases execution risk and weighs on near-term valuation. 3 Stocks Built for Higher Rates
• Negative Sentiment: Stronger-than-expected employment data lifted Treasury yields and reduced expectations for near-term rate cuts, pressuring large technology stocks. Alphabet also faces investor concern over delayed Gemini releases, ongoing ad-tech remedies, and shareholder securities-fraud investigations. Securities Fraud Investigation Into Alphabet

Alphabet 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.