<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Smith Salley Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of  Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 3.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. 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 approximately  3.4% of Smith Salley Wealth Management's holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Smith Salley Wealth Management's holdings in Alphabet were worth $66,724,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.</p><ul><li>D-Wave vs. IonQ vs. IBM vs. Google: Which Quantum Bets Will Win 2026?</li></ul><p>Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of GOOG. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC increased its position in shares of  Alphabet by 580,897.4% in the second quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 135,087,705 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $23,963,208,000 after acquiring an additional 135,064,454 shares in the last quarter.  Norges Bank purchased a new stake in  Alphabet during the 2nd quarter worth $4,298,572,000.  Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in  Alphabet by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 416,753,033 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $73,927,821,000 after purchasing an additional 5,182,111 shares during the period.  Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in  Alphabet by 73.5% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 9,808,152 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $2,388,775,000 after purchasing an additional 4,154,929 shares in the last quarter.  Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in  Alphabet by 17,547.9% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,122,727 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $731,331,000 after purchasing an additional 4,099,366 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own  27.26% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Alphabet Stock Up 0.5%</h2><p>Shares of NASDAQ:GOOG opened at $315.32 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.80 trillion, a PE ratio of 31.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $302.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $244.72. 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 12-month low of $142.66 and a 12-month high of $328.67. </p><ul><li>How the Mag 7’s 2025 Laggards Could Turn Into 2026 Winners</li></ul><p>Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The information services provider reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.58. The company had revenue of $102.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $99.90 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 32.23% and a return on equity of 35.00%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.12 EPS.  On average, equities research analysts anticipate that  Alphabet Inc. will post 8.89 EPS for the current fiscal year. </p><h2>Alphabet Dividend Announcement</h2><p>The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Alphabet's dividend payout ratio  is presently 8.28%. </p><h2>Insiders Place Their Bets</h2><ul><li>2 Under-the-Radar Energy Stocks to Watch for AI Demand in 2026</li></ul><p>In other news, insider John Kent Walker sold 17,829 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $314.89, for a total value of $5,614,173.81. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 42,972 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,531,453.08. This trade represents a 29.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Amie Thuener O'toole sold 2,778 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $288.26, for a total value of $800,786.28. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 11,739 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,383,884.14. This represents a 19.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 195,465 shares of company stock valued at $57,056,497 in the last quarter. Insiders own  12.99% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Alphabet News Summary</h2><p>Here are the key news stories impacting Alphabet this week:</p><ul>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>AI momentum &amp; monetization — Coverage highlights faster Gemini adoption, stronger YouTube/search integration and improving ad + cloud monetization that underpin revenue upside and multiple expansion. <i></i><span>Article</span></li>    <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>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. <i></i><span>Article</span></li>    <li><span>Neutral Sentiment: </span>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. <i></i><span>Butterfly spread idea</span></li>    <li><span>Neutral Sentiment: </span>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. <i></i><span>Article</span></li>    <li><span>Negative Sentiment: </span>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. <i></i><span>Article</span></li>    <li><span>Negative Sentiment: </span>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. <i></i><span>Article</span></li> </ul><h2>Analysts Set New Price Targets</h2><p>A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their target price on Alphabet from $250.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an &#34;overweight&#34; rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Pivotal Research  reaffirmed a &#34;buy&#34; rating and issued a $400.00 price objective (up previously from $350.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an &#34;overweight&#34; rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Alphabet from $260.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Scotiabank  set a $336.00 price target on shares of Alphabet and gave the company a &#34;sector outperform&#34; rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-nine have given a Buy rating, three have assigned  a Hold rating and two have assigned  a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of &#34;Buy&#34; and an average price target of $313.04.</p><p><b>Read Our Latest Research Report on GOOG</b></p><h2>Alphabet Company Profile</h2> (Free Report)<p>Alphabet Inc <span>NASDAQ: GOOG<span></span></span> 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 &#34;Other Bets.&#34; 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.  </p><p>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.</p><h2>Further Reading</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Alphabet</li><li>A month before the crash</li><li>Do not delete, read immediately</li><li>How a Family Trust May Be Able To Help Preserve Your Wealth</li><li>Market Panic: Trump Just Dropped a Bomb on Your Stocks</li><li>[URGENT!] SpaceX Going Public! – Pre-IPO Action</li></ul><p><strong>Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GOOG?</strong> Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report).</p><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9R09PRw?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9R09PRw"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Alphabet Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Alphabet, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Alphabet wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Alphabet currently has a Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

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<p>Smith Salley Wealth Management increased its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) by 3.4% in Q3, owning 273,963 shares valued at $66.72 million. Other hedge funds also adjusted their positions, with Kingstone Capital Partners increasing its stake significantly. Alphabet's stock opened at $315.32, with a market cap of $3.80 trillion. The company reported Q3 earnings of $2.87 per share, exceeding estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share. Insider sales were noted, with John Kent Walker selling 17,829 shares.</p>

- Smith Salley Wealth Management increased its stake in Alphabet Inc. by 3.4% in Q3, now holding 273,963 shares valued at $66,724,000.  
- Recent filings show significant activity from other hedge funds, including Kingstone Capital's massive 580,897.4% increase and Norges Bank's new stake worth over $4 billion.  
- Alphabet reported better-than-expected earnings with $2.87 EPS and $102.35 billion in revenue for the quarter, leading to positive revisions of analyst price targets.

Alphabet Inc. $GOOG Position Boosted by Smith Salley Wealth Management