Google is now known as Alphabet, but the stock remains essential in the tech sector. However, despite an impressive year from the Nasdaq composite, GOOG shares have lagged and remain well off their July 2024 all-time high. Can the stock rally to finish the year? Read our in-depth Alphabet stock forecast for more details.
Current Overview of Alphabet (Google) Stock
Alphabet Inc (Nasdaq: GOOG) is two stocks: the A-class shares with voting rights trade under GOOGL, while the C-class shares with no voting rights trade as GOOG. Although most retail investors have little interest in voting on company affairs, the C-class shares tend to trade at a slight discount to the A-shares due to this discrepancy.
Founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page during the Dot Com Boom, Alphabet (then Google) became the largest search engine on the planet. The company reformed itself as Alphabet in 2015, with the new holding company controlling ventures beyond the Google search engine and internet services. Some of the company’s other subsidiaries include Waymo for autonomous driving, Verily for health care initiatives, Intrinsic for robotics and Wing for drone-based delivery services.
As of this writing, the company has a $2.06 trillion market cap and trades more than 13 million shares daily on average. The stock has a P/E ratio of 23.6, which is relatively low for a tech company. GOOG shares also pay a 0.49% annual dividend yield.
Methodology for Stock Price Prediction
Predicting stock prices is complex, especially for a tech titan like Alphabet. A robust methodology combines fundamental and technical analysis for an informed and comprehensive forecast. Here are a few factors and metrics we looked at to arrive at our prediction.
Fundamental Analysis
Fundamental analysis focuses on a company's intrinsic value by examining its financial health, business model and industry trends. For Google, key factors include:
- Revenue Growth: Wall Street analysts closely monitor Google's revenue streams, including advertising, cloud services and hardware. Strong revenue growth, particularly in hot investment areas like cloud computing and AI, drives stock price appreciation significantly.
- AI and Cloud Innovations: Google's investments in AI and cloud technologies are closely monitored and breakthroughs in these areas can lead to new revenue streams and increased valuation. Waymo’s use of driverless car technology is one area where AI and automation add to investor optimism.
- Competitive Landscape: The cutthroat nature of the tech space is relevant, especially when squaring off against firms like Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Amazon Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN). Stocks that can continually stay ahead of the competition are often rewarded with higher share prices.
- Regulatory Environment: Regulatory changes related to antitrust and data privacy can influence Google's business operations and stock price. The company has recently faced several antitrust accusations, so investors must stay aware of these developments.
Technical Analysis
Technical analysis studies historical price data and volume statistics to identify patterns and trends. Critical technical indicators in our study of Alphabet stock include:
Moving Averages:
- Short-Term Moving Average (50-day): A short-term trend indicator. A price closing over the 50-day MA suggests bullish momentum.
- Long-Term Moving Average (200-day): The longer-term cousin of the 50-day MA. A price closing above the 200-day MA indicates a robust long-term uptrend.
Momentum Oscillators:
- Relative Strength Index (RSI): The RSI measures the speed and change of price movements. An RSI above 70 indicates overbought conditions, while below 30 suggests oversold conditions.
- Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD): MACD compares two moving averages to find trend changes and possible turning points.
Fundamental analysis is primarily used to project a company’s long-term path, while technical analysis helps cut through short-term price noise to find trends. By combining these two schools of analysis, investors can better understand GOOG and GOOGL stock dynamics and make quality investment decisions. However, it’s crucial to note that stock predictions are uncertain and past performance doesn’t indicate future results, especially in volatile sectors like tech.
Alphabet Stock Price Prediction for 2024
Short-term stock prediction often relies on technical analysis and for Alphabet, moving averages offer clues. For example, when a stock’s 50-day MA rises above its 200-day MA, it signals recent upward momentum that could entice more investors.
Based on Benzinga’s analysis of GOOG stock’s moving averages, investor sentiment appears optimistic but only cautiously. The share price has been consolidating near the 50-day and 100-day MAs, which could indicate short-term investor indecision. However, a sustained break above the 50-day MA could reignite bullish sentiment and attract more buyers.
Alphabet's earnings report on Oct. 29 will be a crucial catalyst for the stock's next move. Substantial profit, revenue growth and upbeat guidance during the conference call could amp up investor confidence and push the stock price out of its current malaise. On the other hand, any signs of weakness, slowing growth or pessimistic guidance could send shares back down the ladder.
Alphabet Stock Price Prediction for 2025
Alphabet is one of the largest companies in the world, with a massive market cap north of $2 trillion. As you’d assume, one of the biggest stocks in the market has one of the largest followings from stock analysts. This coverage gives investors plenty of information and opinions on the shares to delve through before buying.
According to our most recent survey, 42 prominent stock analysts cover Alphabet and based on these reports, the consensus rating is a Buy. Scotiabank and Pivotal Research initiated the stock in October with Buy ratings, while UBS maintained the company as Neutral with a slightly lower price target. Recent price targets on the stock range from $165 to $215. The low end of these targets indicates a flat share price over the next year, but the upper bound price of $215 represents a 23% upside from the current market price.
Alphabet Stock Price Prediction for 2030
Analysts are optimistic about Alphabet’s prospects, thanks to its autonomous driving and drone delivery innovation. Waymo, in particular, has become a place for investor excitement; the company announced it had completed 25 million miles without a human driver in July and recently closed another funding round for $5.6 billion. Analysts consider Waymo the leader in self-driving technology, giving Alphabet an edge even if its dominance in search fades.
Based on current analyst projections and the company’s future goals, the stock could be undervalued, even as the market cap sits above $2 trillion. However, tech share volatility is a feature, not a bug, so use proper risk management techniques when investing in companies like Alphabet.
Is Alphabet (Google) Stock Right For You?
Alphabet is more than just the Google search engine. Thanks to Waymo and Gemini, the company has made serious strides in automation and artificial intelligence and its health care initiatives could also have significant future payoffs. Many revenue streams, a strong balance sheet and the continuous drive to innovate make Alphabet an attractive stock. However, the tech sector is notoriously volatile and Alphabet will likely continue battling antitrust threats from regulators. If the company is forcefully broken up in the future, will the stock still hold the same value? It's a question investors must prepare for if they want to own the stock in the long term.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alphabet a good stock buy?
Alphabet is currently a consensus Buy based on our analysis of 45 equity research firms covering the company.
What is the price target for GOOG in 2025?
According to current analyst research reports, GOOG’s consensus price target is $145. The highest price target is $220, representing an upside of more than 25%.
Where will Google stock be in 2030?
Making long-term predictions on GOOG shares is complicated. The company has many exciting initiatives but remains closely watched by antitrust regulators.
* Plus500 is a Benzinga Partner and the promotion of this offer was sponsored by the Partner. This does not impact the content at all.
About Dan Schmidt
Dan Schmidt is a finance writer passionate about helping readers understand how assets and markets work. He has over six years of writing experience, focused on stocks. His work has been published by Vanguard, Capital One, PenFed Credit Union, MarketBeat, and Fora Financial. Dan lives in Bucks County, PA with his wife and enjoys summers at Citizens Bank Park cheering on the Phillies.