Wells Fargo Updates Alphabet Inc. Price Target to $187

• Jefferies has upgraded Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to a "Buy" rating and raised the 12-month price target from $230 to $285.
• The upgrade is based on Alphabet's advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly with its AI chatbot and Google Gemini's potential.
• Alphabet's stock price saw a slight increase to $245.70, with a yearly high of $256 and a market capitalization of approximately $2.97 trillion.

On October 2, 2025, Jefferies updated its rating for Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to a "Buy" recommendation. At the time, the stock was priced at approximately $244.63. This update came after Jefferies raised Alphabet's price target, following tests of an AI chatbot, as highlighted by TheFly. Alphabet, known for its search engine Google, is a leader in technology and innovation, competing with companies like Microsoft and Amazon.

Jefferies analysts have increased their 12-month target price for Alphabet shares to $285, up from $230. This reflects Alphabet's rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). The analysts highlighted the "untapped potential" of Google Gemini, suggesting that Google could transform its search capabilities into the "ultimate decision engine."

Features like Circle to Search and Google Lens enhance the search experience by offering multi-modality across browsers such as Chrome and Safari. The analysts believe that AI is not a zero-sum game and foresee Google as a leading copilot for consumers, particularly if it can integrate search, AI Overviews, and Gemini/AI Mode into a unified interface.

In a comparison of 10 prompts across Google Gemini, OpenAI ChatGPT, and Perplexity, the analysts found that while ChatGPT performed best overall, Gemini excelled in image generation. The stock for GOOGL is currently priced at $245.70, experiencing a change of $0.80, which is a 0.33% increase. The stock's price fluctuated between a low of $242.31 and a high of $246.81 during the day.

Over the past year, GOOGL has reached a high of $256 and a low of $140.53. The company's market capitalization stands at approximately $2.97 trillion. Today's trading volume for GOOGL is 21.66 million shares, indicating strong investor interest.

• Morgan Stanley has set a price target of $270 for NASDAQ:GOOGL, indicating a potential increase of about 10.25%.
• Google is advancing in the AI landscape by integrating its Gemini AI into smart home devices, competing with giants like Amazon and OpenAI.
• Despite recent staff reductions in its Cloud unit, Google's stock price has seen a slight increase, with a current market capitalization of approximately $2.96 trillion.

On October 2, 2025, Morgan Stanley set a price target of $270 for NASDAQ:GOOGL. At the time, the stock was priced at $244.9, suggesting a potential increase of about 10.25%. Google, a leader in technology, is known for its search engine, advertising services, and innovative products. It competes with tech giants like Amazon and OpenAI in the AI and smart home markets.

Google is making significant strides in the AI landscape by integrating its Gemini AI into home devices. This move is part of a broader effort by tech giants, including Amazon, to enhance their voice assistants with advanced AI capabilities. The competition in this space has intensified as OpenAI raises the stakes, pushing companies to innovate and make voice the next major interface for AI.

Google has unveiled a significant revamp of its smart home devices, integrating advanced artificial intelligence to enhance the functionality of smart home assistants. This development is part of Google's ongoing efforts to leverage AI technology to improve user experience and efficiency in managing smart home environments. The AI enhancements are expected to elevate the capabilities of smart home assistants, making them more intuitive and responsive to user needs. This strategic move by Google underscores its commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving smart home market.

Google has recently implemented staff reductions within its Cloud unit, primarily impacting employees involved in user experience projects. This move reflects a strategic decision by the company to streamline operations within this division. The stock for GOOGL is currently priced at $244.90, reflecting an increase of 0.74% or $1.80. During the trading day, the stock has fluctuated between a low of $238.61 and a high of $246.30. Over the past year, GOOGL has reached a high of $256 and a low of $140.53. The company's market capitalization stands at approximately $2.96 trillion. Today's trading volume for GOOGL on the NASDAQ is 29,649,105 shares.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) shares gained more than 2% in U.S. premarket trading on Thursday after the tech conglomerate reported second-quarter results that exceeded analyst expectations and raised its 2025 capital spending forecast.

The Google parent posted earnings per share of $2.31, topping the consensus estimate of $2.17. Quarterly revenue reached $96.43 billion, also surpassing forecasts of $93.9 billion.

The company now anticipates capital expenditures of around $85 billion for 2025, up from a previous outlook of $75 billion and notably higher than analyst projections of $73.31 billion. The increase, representing a 13.3% rise from the prior year, reflects intensified investments in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure.

Alphabet has increasingly integrated AI into its core search business to counter rising competition from emerging players like OpenAI and Perplexity.

AI advancements have also bolstered the firm’s advertising segment, with total ad revenue rising 10.4% year-over-year to $71.3 billion. The search division, in particular, posted a strong 11.7% annual growth.

On May 14, 2025, Marjorie Taylor Greene participated in a purchase transaction involving shares of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), valued between $1,001 and $15,000. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is a major player in the tech industry, known for its search engine, advertising services, and various technology ventures. It competes with other tech giants like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.

Alphabet's Google is set to commence its annual developer conference, where it will reveal a series of announcements highlighting its substantial investment in artificial intelligence. This move comes as Google aims to address and mitigate concerns regarding the future of its business. The event is expected to showcase Google's commitment to advancing AI technology, amidst the challenges it faces in the search domain.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to expand its commercial robotaxi service area. This expansion allows Waymo to introduce its driverless ride-hailing vehicles to more communities south of San Francisco. Currently, Waymo operates a commercial robotaxi service throughout San Francisco and parts of the Peninsula, offering driverless rides to paying customers in several Silicon Valley cities, including Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale.

The company's service area now covers approximately 85 square miles, encompassing San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Waymo expressed excitement about the approval, which permits them to operate their fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose. However, the company noted that this approval will not alter its operations in the immediate future.

The current stock price of GOOGL is $167.02, reflecting a slight increase of 0.29% or $0.48. Today, the stock has fluctuated between a low of $165.45 and a high of $167.54. Over the past year, GOOGL has reached a high of $207.05 and a low of $140.53. The company, listed on NASDAQ, boasts a substantial market capitalization of approximately $2.03 trillion. Today's trading volume for GOOGL is 12.39 million shares.

BofA Securities analysts reiterated a Buy rating on Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) with a $225 price target, maintaining a bullish outlook on the company’s search business despite rising AI competition. The analysts noted that while AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT have gained traction, they do not appear to be significantly impacting Google’s search traffic or market share. Instead, AI-powered search activity is expanding, with Google continuing to capture a substantial portion of this growth.

Google’s latest earnings call reinforced confidence in the strength of its search business, with management highlighting continued volume growth fueled by AI innovations such as AI Overviews and Circle to Search. Additionally, recent industry checks indicate that ads in top positions within AI-powered search results are generating higher click-through rates (CTR), which is helping drive better monetization and search pricing.

Looking ahead, key risks in 2025 include increasing competition from AI-powered search alternatives, potential ad budget shifts toward OpenAI’s newly introduced advertising offerings, and potential regulatory challenges in both the U.S. and EU that could impact long-term investor sentiment.

Despite these uncertainties, BofA remains optimistic about Alphabet’s ability to monetize AI advancements within its core search business, reaffirming its bullish stance on the stock.

BofA Securities analysts reiterated a Buy rating on Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) with a $225 price target, maintaining a bullish outlook on the company’s search business despite rising AI competition. The analysts noted that while AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT have gained traction, they do not appear to be significantly impacting Google’s search traffic or market share. Instead, AI-powered search activity is expanding, with Google continuing to capture a substantial portion of this growth.

Google’s latest earnings call reinforced confidence in the strength of its search business, with management highlighting continued volume growth fueled by AI innovations such as AI Overviews and Circle to Search. Additionally, recent industry checks indicate that ads in top positions within AI-powered search results are generating higher click-through rates (CTR), which is helping drive better monetization and search pricing.

Looking ahead, key risks in 2025 include increasing competition from AI-powered search alternatives, potential ad budget shifts toward OpenAI’s newly introduced advertising offerings, and potential regulatory challenges in both the U.S. and EU that could impact long-term investor sentiment.

Despite these uncertainties, BofA remains optimistic about Alphabet’s ability to monetize AI advancements within its core search business, reaffirming its bullish stance on the stock.

• Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is set to release its quarterly earnings with an estimated EPS of $2.12 and projected revenue of $96.67 billion.
• The company's significant investment in AI, totaling $50 billion in 2024, aims to enhance cloud services and search features.
• Despite a slowdown in revenue growth, a 12.2% year-over-year increase is expected, with operating income forecasted at $30.1 billion and a 31% margin.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), the parent company of Google, is a leading player in the technology sector, known for its search engine, digital advertising, and cloud services. As it prepares to release its quarterly earnings on February 4, 2025, Wall Street analysts estimate an earnings per share of $2.12 and project revenue to be around $96.67 billion.

Investors are expected to focus on Alphabet's significant expenditures on artificial intelligence (AI), which amounted to $50 billion in 2024, with further increases anticipated in 2025, as highlighted by Reuters. This substantial investment is aimed at enhancing its cloud services and AI-driven search features, crucial for maintaining market share and boosting advertising revenue.

Despite the anticipated revenue growth slowdown due to challenges in the advertising and cloud sectors, analysts at Wedbush project a 12.2% year-over-year increase in fourth-quarter revenue, reaching $96.8 billion. This aligns closely with Wall Street's consensus of $96.7 billion. The operating income is forecasted at $30.1 billion with a 31% margin, slightly below the consensus of $30.4 billion.

Alphabet's financial metrics, such as a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.23 and a price-to-sales ratio of 7.28, reflect its market valuation. The company's low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.086 indicates a strong financial position, while a current ratio of 1.95 suggests it can comfortably cover short-term liabilities with its assets.

The emergence of Chinese startup DeepSeek, which introduced low-cost AI models, could trigger a price war in the AI industry, adding pressure on Alphabet to justify its AI spending. Similar concerns have been raised with other tech giants like Meta, where CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed AI-related expenditures during their earnings call.