ETFs to Watch as Alphabet Reports Q4 Earnings

Core Insights - Alphabet (GOOGL) reported fourth-quarter 2025 earnings of $2.82 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.57 by 9.73% and showing a 31.16% increase from $2.15 per share in the same period last year [1] - Despite strong earnings, GOOGL shares fell approximately 3% in extended trading and 2.63% in pre-market trading on February 5, primarily due to the forecasted capital expenditure (capex) for 2026 of $175 to $185 billion, which represents more than double the capex from the previous year [2][10] Financial Performance - Alphabet's revenues for Q4 2025 reached $97.23 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $94.79 billion by 2.58% and marking a 19.12% increase from the year-ago quarter [4] - The company's net income for the quarter surged to $34.46 billion, a 30.0% increase from the previous year, while the total net income for 2025 reached $132.17 billion, up 32.01% from 2024 [4] - Operating income for Q4 was $35.94 billion, reflecting a 16.02% increase year-over-year, with total operating income for 2025 reaching $129.04 billion, a 14.81% increase from 2024 [5] Segment Performance - Google advertising revenues in Q4 reached $82.28 billion, up 13.56% from the previous year, with revenues from Google Search & other increasing to $63.07 billion, a rise of 16.73% [6] - Revenues from Google Services increased by 13.99% year-over-year to $95.86 billion, with operating income from this segment reaching $40.13 billion, a 22.22% increase from the prior year [7] - The Google Cloud business saw significant growth, with revenues rising 47.75% year-over-year to $17.66 billion and operating income increasing by 153.45% to $5.31 billion, driven by advancements in AI Infrastructure and enterprise AI Solutions [8] Market Outlook - Alphabet has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.27 on a scale of 1 to 5, indicating a strong buy sentiment among analysts, with 83.93% of recommendations classified as Strong Buy and Buy [9][11] - The average price target for Alphabet, based on short-term estimates from 53 analysts, is $347.02, representing a 4.19% increase from the last closing price of $333.04 [12] ETF Exposure - Several ETFs have significant exposure to Alphabet, including Global X PureCap MSCI Communication Services ETF (29.38%), Fidelity MSCI Communication Services Index ETF (14.75%), Vanguard Communication Services ETF (13.98%), iShares Global Comm Services ETF (12.74%), and Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (11.45%) [13]