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Alphabet: This Is The Moment Of Truth
Seeking Alpha· 2026-02-01 17:00
Group 1 - Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) is expected to release its Q4 earnings report on February 4, which may impact the overall stock market [1] - The company has been significantly investing in AI, particularly among hyperscalers, over the last couple of years [1] Group 2 - The author has a beneficial long position in GOOG shares through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives [2] - The article reflects the author's personal opinions and experiences, with no compensation received for the content [2]
Is This ETF Targeting Alphabet Stock a Buy After Oriental Harbor Added Shares to Its Position Worth $15.1 Million?
The Motley Fool· 2026-01-31 23:34
Core Viewpoint - The news highlights a bullish sentiment towards Alphabet Inc. as demonstrated by the Oriental Harbor Investment Master Fund's purchase of shares in the Direxion Daily GOOGL Bull 2X Shares ETF, which aims to amplify daily returns of Alphabet through swap agreements [2][6]. Group 1: ETF Overview and Performance - The Direxion Daily GOOGL Bull 2X Shares (GGLL) ETF is designed to provide investors with 2 times the daily return of Alphabet shares, utilizing swap agreements to enhance exposure [5][8]. - As of January 26, 2026, GGLL's price was $108.79, reflecting a significant one-year price change of 140.5% [3][4]. - The ETF has an estimated $1.06 billion in assets under management (AUM) and a dividend yield of 3.66% [4]. Group 2: Investment Activity and Implications - Oriental Harbor Investment Master Fund acquired 177,587 shares of GGLL, with an estimated transaction value of $15.12 million, and the position's value increased to $22.30 million by quarter-end due to price appreciation [2][3]. - The purchase raised GGLL's weight in the fund to 2.42% of its 13F assets under management, indicating a strategic bullish outlook on Alphabet [3]. Group 3: Alphabet's Financial Performance - Alphabet's search revenue rose to $56.6 billion in Q3 2025, up from $49.4 billion in 2024, contributing to a total company sales increase of 16% year-over-year to $102.3 billion [9][10]. - The successful integration of AI into Google search results has not detracted from Alphabet's revenue generation capabilities, suggesting a strong investment case for Alphabet stock [10]. Group 4: Investment Strategy Considerations - The GGLL ETF is intended for short-term tactical trading, making it suitable for investors looking to capitalize on short-term price movements in Alphabet shares rather than long-term investment [11].
JPMorgan Raises VeriSign (VRSN) Target as Domain Trends Improve
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-31 21:30
Group 1: Company Overview - VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSN) operates the core infrastructure behind the .com and .net internet domains worldwide, managing domain name registry databases to ensure reliable website connections [3] - The company has maintained its core services without downtime for nearly three decades, which is crucial for internet reliability [4] Group 2: Financial Performance and Market Trends - JPMorgan analyst Alexei Gogolev raised the price target for VeriSign to $271 from $270, citing steady improvement in the .com domain business, with the .com domain base reaching 161 million total domains as of December 31, reflecting a 3% increase from the previous year [2] - The firm expressed encouragement regarding the gradually stronger trends in the .com domain, which have been incorporated into their financial model [2] Group 3: Strategic Focus and Compliance - Trust is central to VeriSign's business, with key drivers including contract renewals, strong operational security, and the company's dominant position in its core registries [4] - Regulatory compliance is a constant focus for the company, especially as global rules evolve and cyber threats become more complex, supported by targeted spending on research and development [5]
Google to pay $203M in data privacy suits: Could you get a payout?
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-31 16:07
Core Viewpoint - Alphabet's Google is facing significant legal challenges with two class-action lawsuits totaling over $200 million, while simultaneously striving for AI leadership amid increasing regulatory scrutiny from the European Union [1][2]. Group 1: Lawsuits and Settlements - Google has reached a preliminary agreement to settle two lawsuits: $68 million for claims related to Google Assistant and $135 million for allegations regarding improper data collection by its Android operating system [2][5]. - The Google Assistant settlement addresses claims that the service recorded private conversations without user consent, with plaintiffs alleging that conversations were monitored even without activation phrases [6][7]. - Individuals who purchased Google devices from 2016 until the court's approval date will be eligible for monetary reimbursement under the class action lawsuit [8]. Group 2: Regulatory Environment - The European Commission has initiated new proceedings against Google under the Digital Markets Act, focusing on compliance with interoperability rules and access to search-related data for third-party providers [3][4]. - These legal actions highlight the global scale of data-handling concerns facing Google, indicating a broader regulatory environment impacting the tech giant [4]. Group 3: Market Reaction - Despite the ongoing lawsuits, Alphabet's stock has increased by 7% this month, reflecting investor confidence or market resilience in the face of legal challenges [5].
GOOY: Turning Alphabet's Volatility Into Weekly Cash Flow
Seeking Alpha· 2026-01-31 03:19
Core Viewpoint - The investor is focused on building a resilient, income-generating portfolio with a long-term growth mindset, emphasizing disciplined, fundamentals-driven investing and capital preservation while compounding returns over time [1]. Group 1: Investment Strategy - The investment approach is primarily long-only, blending dividend-paying equities, REITs, and other income strategies with selective growth opportunities [1]. - The investor prioritizes capital preservation alongside the compounding of returns over time [1]. Group 2: Background - The investor is based in Dubai and originally from India, indicating a diverse geographical perspective in investment strategies [1].
X @Bloomberg
Bloomberg· 2026-01-30 23:08
Amazon asked the FCC for more time to meet a regulatory deadline to have more than 1,600 internet satellites in orbit by mid-2026, citing a shortage of rockets to launch them https://t.co/njVZJceA8d ...
Alphabet Could Power Past Forecasts As AI Lifts Ads, Cloud: Analyst
Benzinga· 2026-01-30 18:10
Google parent Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) heads into its fourth-quarter earnings with momentum building across Search and Cloud, as a surge in AI-driven usage and advertising demand sets the stage for a potential revenue and profit beat that could reshape expectations for its growth trajectory in 2026.Bank of America Securities analyst Justin Post expects Alphabet to deliver a fourth-quarter revenue and EPS beat, and he slightly raised his forecasts ahead of the Feb. 4 report, citing signs of a steady ad m ...
META's AI-Push Drives Advertising Growth: More Upside Ahead?
ZACKS· 2026-01-30 15:46
Core Insights - Meta Platforms (META) is leveraging AI to enhance content recommendations and ad ranking, resulting in increased user engagement and advertising revenue growth [1][2] Advertising Revenue Growth - In 2025, META's advertising revenues rose by 22.1% from 2024, reaching $196.18 billion, which constituted 97.6% of total revenues and 98.7% of Family of Apps revenues [1][9] - In Q4 2025, advertising revenues surged by 24.3% year-over-year to $58.14 billion, accounting for 98.6% of Family of Apps revenues and 97.1% of total revenues [1] User Engagement and Ad Performance - Improved user engagement and growth have led to an 18% increase in ad impressions in the reported quarter [2] - The average price per ad increased by 6% year-over-year, driven by heightened advertiser demand and improved ad performance [2] - AI enhancements resulted in a 3.5% increase in ad clicks on Facebook and over a 1% gain in conversions on Instagram in Q4 2025 [2][9] Monetization Strategies - META is focusing on optimizing ad delivery timing and placement to enhance user experience while boosting monetization [3] - The company is expanding ad placements to newer platforms, including Threads and WhatsApp, to further drive advertising revenues [3][9] Competitive Landscape - META faces significant competition in the advertising space from Alphabet and Amazon, both of which are integrating AI to enhance their advertising capabilities [5][6] - Alphabet's Search business is benefiting from AI, improving user experience and ad performance [5] - Amazon's advertising strategy includes partnerships that extend ad reach beyond its own platforms, showcasing successful AI-driven optimization [6] Financial Outlook - META anticipates capital spending between $115 billion and $135 billion in 2026, with first-quarter 2026 total revenues projected to be between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter 2026 revenues is $51.38 billion, indicating a 21.4% growth from the previous year [4] Stock Performance - META's shares have increased by 6.6% over the past 12 months, underperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector, which returned 27.8% [7] - The stock is trading at a forward 12-month price/sales ratio of 7.81X, compared to the sector's 7.44X, indicating a premium valuation [11]
Ahead of Alphabet (GOOGL) Q4 Earnings: Get Ready With Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
ZACKS· 2026-01-30 15:15
Wall Street analysts forecast that Alphabet (GOOGL) will report quarterly earnings of $2.58 per share in its upcoming release, pointing to a year-over-year increase of 20%. It is anticipated that revenues will amount to $94.7 billion, exhibiting an increase of 16% compared to the year-ago quarter.The current level reflects a downward revision of 0.4% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter over the past 30 days. This demonstrates how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reappraised their ...
Increased Investor Optimism Lifted Alphabet (GOOGL) in Q4
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-30 14:02
分组1 - Hotchkis & Wiley Global Value Fund outperformed the MSCI World Value Index in Q4 2025, returning 3.80% compared to 3.34% for the Index, and achieved a YTD return of 23.77% versus 20.79% for the Index [1] - The Fund's performance was driven by positive stock selection, particularly in non-US equities, which significantly outperformed US stocks in 2025 [1] - The firm sees potential in certain software companies under current market conditions and encourages reviewing the Fund's top 5 holdings for insights [1] 分组2 - Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) was highlighted as a leading contributor to the Fund's performance, with a one-month return of 7.33% and a 52-week gain of 65.79% [2] - On January 29, 2026, Alphabet Inc. closed at $338.25 per share, with a market capitalization of $4.097 trillion [2] - Alphabet's strong Q3 2025 results boosted investor confidence, particularly in its ability to leverage AI opportunities for growth, as it gained market share in Consumer Chatbot activity from OpenAI's ChatGPT [3] 分组3 - Alphabet Inc. ranked fourth among the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds, with 243 hedge fund portfolios holding its stock at the end of Q3 2025, an increase from 219 in the previous quarter [4] - In Q3 2025, Alphabet achieved its first-ever $100 billion in revenue, indicating strong financial performance [4] - While Alphabet is recognized for its investment potential, the company believes certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential with less downside risk [4]