Banking giant sets Google stock price target

Core Viewpoint - DA Davidson maintains a 'Neutral' rating on Google with a price target of $160, while the average Wall Street target is $198.79, indicating potential upside for investors [1][6]. Group 1: Analyst Insights - Analyst Gil Luria suggests that Google may need to consider "passive-aggressive" spin-offs of its Network and possibly Chrome/Android divisions to address DOJ antitrust concerns [2]. - Luria believes that the ongoing debate over Google Search will continue, with revenue growth expected to persist for several quarters before potential changes from Apple and OpenAI's ChatGPT impact the market [2]. - The analyst posits that breaking up Google could ultimately be beneficial for the company, allowing for higher valuations of its individual businesses [3]. Group 2: Valuation and Market Comparison - According to Luria, Google's conglomerate structure limits its stock valuation multiple to 16x, which is applied to Google Search; however, spun-off businesses could achieve much higher multiples, comparable to Netflix (47x) or Tesla (92x) [4]. - If the $160 price target is met, it would represent a 1.85% upside from the current stock price of $157.09 [5]. - In contrast to DA Davidson's outlook, other analysts, such as Tigress Financial's Ivan Feinseth, have set a higher price target of $240, reflecting confidence in Google's ability to navigate AI-related challenges [6].