--- title: "Top Analyst Reaffirms 'Buy' on Google Stock, Despite Drop in YouTube Engagement" description: "Top analyst Boone reaffirms a 'Buy' rating on Google stock despite a 1.2% year-over-year drop in YouTube's global viewing time, attributed to competition from TikTok and Instagram. He remains optimist" type: "news" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/260881370.md" published_at: "2025-10-13T10:49:12.000Z" --- # Top Analyst Reaffirms 'Buy' on Google Stock, Despite Drop in YouTube Engagement > Top analyst Boone reaffirms a 'Buy' rating on Google stock despite a 1.2% year-over-year drop in YouTube's global viewing time, attributed to competition from TikTok and Instagram. He remains optimistic about Alphabet's core business, highlighting strengths in digital ads, cloud services, and AI. Boone believes YouTube's engagement may recover with new formats and AI tools. GOOGL stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating, with a target price of $253.66, indicating a potential upside of 7.22%. Year-to-date, GOOGL stock has risen over 25.38%. ## **YouTube Sees First Drop in Global Viewing Time** Boone said YouTube's global time spent fell 1.2% year-over-year, the first drop since Citizens began tracking usage. He noted that this decline could be a sign of rising competition from TikTok and Instagram, which continue to pull users toward short-form videos. At the same time, TikTok's global time spent jumped 8.7% year-over-year, a sharp acceleration of more than 1,100 basis points from last year. Boone said this shows TikTok's growing pull among younger users, especially outside the U.S. However, he also pointed out that Citizens' data doesn't include connected TV (CTV) viewing, where YouTube has been expanding quickly. That means YouTube's total watch time could be stronger than the data suggests, especially on TVs and streaming devices. ## **Boone Remains Upbeat about Alphabet's Core Business** Even with the dip in engagement, Boone said he remains upbeat about Alphabet's broader business, citing its strength in digital ads, cloud services, and AI. He believes YouTube's viewing trends could recover as AI tools and new formats boost engagement in the coming quarters. "While competition is heating up, Alphabet's reach, product mix, and steady ad demand give it a clear edge," Boone said. ## **Is GOOGL a Good Stock to Buy Now?** According to TipRanks, GOOGL stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 29 Buys, and eight Holds assigned in the last three months. At $253.66, the Alphabet share price target implies an 7.22% upside potential. Year-to-date, GOOGL stock has gained over 25.38%. ### Related Stocks - [GOOG.US - Alphabet - C](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOG.US.md) - [GOOGL.US - Alphabet](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOGL.US.md) - [GGLS.US - Direxion Daily Googl Bear 1x Shares](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GGLS.US.md) - [GGLL.US - Direxion Daily GOOGL Bull 2X Shares](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GGLL.US.md) ## Related News & Research | Title | Description | URL | |-------|-------------|-----| | YouTube Says Some Users Having Trouble Accessing Its Sites | By Kosaku Narioka Google-owned YouTube said some users were having trouble accessing the online video-sharing platform. | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276194395.md) | | TFB Advisors LLC Sells 8,020 Shares of Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL | TFB Advisors LLC has reduced its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) by 38.3%, selling 8,020 shares during Q3, leavin | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276048088.md) | | YouTube outage fixed after recommendation system glitch | YouTube has fixed a technical issue that caused a brief outage affecting hundreds of thousands of users globally. At the | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276198836.md) | | YouTube is coming to the Apple Vision Pro | YouTube is launching an official visionOS app for the Apple Vision Pro on Thursday, allowing users to access all types o | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275787951.md) | | Truist Financial Corp Has $638.57 Million Position in Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL | Truist Financial Corp increased its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) by 3.2% in Q3, now holding 2,626,794 shares v | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275741428.md) | --- > **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.