Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOG )( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded analyst estimates, with full-year revenue exceeding $400 billion for the first time ever. However, the tech stock's guidance for 2026 capital expenditures, ranging from $175 billion to $185 billion - nearly double the $91.4 billion spent in 2025 - raised concerns about profitability amid intense AI infrastructure demands. This outlook triggered a volatile stock reaction, with shares dropping over 6% initially in after-hours trading, recovering to a 2% gain during the earnings call,
Alphabet said on Wednesday it was targeting capital expenditure of $175 billion to $185 billion this year, in yet another aggressive ramp-up in spending from the Google parent as it deepens its investments to push ahead in the AI race. Analysts on average had expected Alphabet to spend about $115.26 billion this year, according to data compiled by LSEG. Shares of the company fell more than 6% in extended trading.
There are numerous ways to bet on AI (artificial intelligence). But two paths are particularly intriguing: the AI technology suppliers and the beneficiaries of AI at scale. In other words, you can buy the company selling the "picks and shovels," or the chips and systems powering AI. Or, alternatively, you can invest in a company that integrates AI into existing products, services, and infrastructure used by billions of people.
Shares rose as much as 1.7% to $334.04, translating to a market cap of $4 trillion. The company recently overtook Apple Inc. to become the second-largest firm, behind Nvidia Corp. Only Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft Corp. have topped the $4 trillion barrier, and Nvidia remains the lone company to ever crest $5 trillion. Monday's gain came after CNBC reported that Apple had picked the company's Gemini to run an AI-powered version of its Siri digital assistant.
Alphabet Inc. has overtaken Apple Inc. to become the second-most valuable company by market capitalization, a reflection of how the Google parent has emerged as one of the most significant winners of artificial intelligence. Shares of Alphabet rose 2.4% on Wednesday, closing with a valuation of $3.89 trillion. That allowed it to surpass Apple, which closed with a market cap of $3.85 trillion on Wednesday, following a six-day slump that erased nearly 5% and almost $200 billion off its value.
Alphabet is one of the world's most dominant technology platforms, operating a global portfolio of services spanning Search, YouTube, Android, Chrome, Google Cloud, and digital advertising infrastructure. The company controls the largest share of global search traffic and online video consumption, giving it unparalleled data scale and monetization power. Alphabet's business is reinforced by deep network effects, massive computing infrastructure, and expanding AI capabilities across consumer, enterprise, and cloud workloads.
Shares of Meta Platforms have advanced 13% year to date, bringing its market value to $1.6 trillion. Meanwhile, shares of Google parent Alphabet have advanced 64%, bringing the company's market value to $3.7 trillion. Three top hedge fund managers bought both stocks in the third quarter. Israel Englander of Millennium Management added 793,500 shares of Meta Platforms and 2.2 million shares of Alphabet. Both stocks rank among his top 10 holdings.
Alphabet's cofounders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, are worth $265 billion and $246 billion each as of Monday's close, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. They're the second- and third-richest people on the planet, behind only Elon Musk and his $638 billion net worth. Page and Brin have added $97 billion and $88 billion to their respective fortunes since the start of January, for a joint wealth gain of $185 billion, the rich list shows.
No company in the technology industry has benefited from the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as much as Nvidia . Over the last three years, shares of the semiconductor giant have soared by more than 970% -- propelling its market cap to $4.5 trillion and making it the most valuable company in the world. By contrast, Alphabet's price action was fairly muted throughout much of the AI revolution -- up until recently.
Investing in the stock market is an excellent way to build lasting wealth over the long term. By leveraging the power of compounding returns, you can grow your nest egg into a significant amount of money for retirement or other financial goals in mind. There are many approaches to investing, but one popular option is investing in growth stocks. These stocks tend to be fast-growing companies that are disrupting industries, leveraging technology, or tapping into previously underserved markets.
Stanley Druckenmiller of Duquesne Family Office bought 76,100 shares of Meta Platforms and 102,200 shares of Alphabet. They collectively account for 2% of his portfolio. Israel Englander of Millennium Management purchased 793,500 shares of Meta Platforms and 2.2 million shares of Alphabet. They are now his eighth- and fifth-largest holdings, respectively, excluding options.
"OpenAI was the golden child earlier this year, and Alphabet was looked at in a very different light," said Brett Ewing, chief market strategist at First Franklin Financial Services. "Now sentiment is much more tempered toward OpenAI."
I think Alphabet and Microsoft can top that figure by the end of 2026. Here's what my prediction would mean for shareholders: Alphabet is currently worth $3.8 trillion. The stock must increase 29% for the company to achieve a market value of $4.9 trillion. Microsoft is currently worth $3.6 trillion. The stock must increase 36% for the company to achieve a market value of $4.9 trillion.
Alphabet is the parent company of Google, along with several other brands, like YouTube, the Android operating system, and Waymo. It's a fairly wide business, but when you boil it down, most of Alphabet's revenue comes from advertising. In Q3 2025, Alphabet's ad revenue totaled $74.2 billion, with total revenue coming in at $102.3 billion. When the economy and the consumer are fairly strong, advertising is a great business to be in.
the significant increase in our investments in technical infrastructure will continue to put pressure on the P&L in the form of higher depreciation expenses and related data center operations costs such as energy.
