Director Frances Arnold Sells Alphabet Inc. Stock

On December 31st, Frances Arnold, a director at Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL), sold 111 shares of the company's stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.49, amounting to a total of $21,366.39. Following this transaction, Arnold owns 16,709 shares of Alphabet, which are now valued at around $3,216,315.41. This recent sale reflects a decrease of 0.66% in her stake in the company. The details regarding this transaction were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and can be accessed through their official site.

In fact, this wasn't the only recent sale made by Arnold. On November 29th, she sold another 111 shares at an average price of $169.98, totaling $18,867.78. Earlier, on November 4th, she sold 441 shares of Alphabet at an average price of $171.06 for a total of $75,437.46. These transactions demonstrate a pattern of selling among company insiders.

Current Stock Performance

During trading hours on Thursday, Alphabet's stock price slightly decreased by $0.03, ending at $189.27. The trading volume for the day reached 15,816,297 shares, significantly below the average volume of 27,460,176 shares. Over the past year, Alphabet's stock has seen fluctuations, with a low of $130.66 and a high of $201.42. Presently, Alphabet has a market capitalization of $2.32 trillion, a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 25.10, and a beta of 1.01. The company's fifty-day moving average stands at $179.17, while the two-hundred day average is $172.28.

Recent Earnings Report

Alphabet's latest earnings report was released on October 29th. The company reported earnings of $2.12 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of $1.83 by $0.29. Alphabet's revenue for the quarter was impressive at $88.27 billion, far surpassing the projected consensus of $72.85 billion. The company achieved a net margin of 27.74% and a return on equity of 31.66%. Compared to the same period last year, where Alphabet earned $1.55 per share, this shows strong growth.

Dividend Announcement

Recently, Alphabet announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on December 16th. Shareholders who held the stock on record as of December 9th received a dividend of $0.20 per share. This equates to an annual dividend of $0.80 and a dividend yield of 0.42%. The payout ratio for this dividend stands at 10.61%. This move underscores Alphabet's commitment to returning value to its shareholders.

Analyst Ratings Summary

Several analysts have been evaluating Alphabet's performance lately. A report by Scotiabank upgraded Alphabet to a "strong-buy" rating, while JMP Securities downgraded it from "outperform" to "market perform," with a target price of $220. Other firms like Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Alphabet's stock, indicating a generally positive sentiment surrounding the company's future in the market. With eight analysts giving it a hold rating, thirty recommending a buy, and four assigning a strong buy, Alphabet is observed to have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." The average price target suggested is $206.69.

Institutional Stakeholders

Institutional investors continue to show interest in Alphabet, recently making adjustments to their holdings. For instance, State Street Corp increased its stake by 0.3% during the third quarter, owning over 222 million shares. Similarly, Geode Capital Management raised its position by 2.0% and JPMorgan Chase increased theirs by 7.7%. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own approximately 40.03% of Alphabet's stock, indicating strong institutional confidence in the company's prospects.

About Alphabet Inc.

Alphabet Inc. is a technology company providing a wide range of products and services globally. Through its segments, which include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets, Alphabet engages in various activities such as online advertising, search engine services, cloud computing, and consumer electronics, among others. As a leading information services provider, Alphabet continues to innovate and expand its reach in multiple sectors.

Alphabet, Stock, Earnings