Alphabet (GOOG) Gained as Its Main Businesses Continue to Grow

Group 1: Market Overview - In the fourth quarter of 2025, the S&P 500 returned 2.65%, leading to a full-year return of 17.9% for 2025, with annual growth of over 21% over the last three years [1] - Market leadership was characterized by High Beta and Momentum factors, with narrow participation, although sectors like Healthcare, Financials, and Consumer Discretionary showed slight improvements [1] - Mega-cap technology companies remained the primary drivers of the S&P 500's overall return, indicating high stock concentration [1] Group 2: Madison Large Cap Fund Performance - The Madison Large Cap Fund (Class I) appreciated 3.43% in the fourth quarter, outperforming the S&P 500 Index's return of 2.65% [1] - The fund's top five contributors for the quarter included Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Parker-Hannifin, Keysight Technologies, Danaher, and PACCAR [3] Group 3: Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Insights - Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is a significant contributor to the Madison Large Cap Fund's performance, with its stock closing at $311.69 per share and a market capitalization of $3.771 trillion on February 23, 2026 [2] - The company achieved its first-ever $400 billion annual revenue in 2025, and its shares gained 75.73% of their value over the last 52 weeks, despite a one-month return of -6.96% [5] - Alphabet's main businesses, including Search, YouTube, and Cloud, continued to accelerate, and the release of new AI models has bolstered investor confidence in its growth potential [3]