Investors reassess the AI market – Alphabet emerges as the new benchmark for investment

Alphabet reported a historic quarter with revenue surpassing 100 billion USD, while its partnership with Meta has further intensified competition in the AI sector. GOOG shares continue to rise.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) reported very strong results for Q3 2025, significantly exceeding analyst expectations.

Revenue reached 102.3 billion USD (+16% y/y) – marking the first time the company has surpassed the 100 billion USD quarterly revenue threshold. On a non-GAAP basis (excluding the European Commission fine), operating profit came to 34.7 billion USD, and the margin rose to 33.9% from 32.3% a year earlier, indicating improved efficiency and effective cost control.

Management did not provide specific guidance on profit or revenue but announced higher investment levels: capital expenditure is set to increase to 91–93 billion USD in 2025 and rise further in 2026. The company continues to expand its data-centre network, proprietary TPU and Axion chips, and artificial-intelligence-based services.

Another key growth driver for Alphabet is its partnership with Meta. A multi-billion-dollar agreement is under discussion, under which Meta will, from 2026, lease computing capacity on Google Cloud powered by TPUs, and from 2027 begin installing Google-designed TPU clusters directly in its own data centres. This would enable Meta to reduce its reliance on NVIDIA GPUs and diversify its AI training and inference infrastructure, while strengthening Alphabet’s position in cloud AI services and hardware solutions.

This article examines Alphabet Inc., outlining the company’s revenue structure and reviewing its 2024 calendar-year performance, as well as its Q1 and Q2 2025 results. It also provides a technical analysis of GOOG shares, forming the basis for the Alphabet stock forecast for 2025.

About Alphabet Inc.

Alphabet Inc. was established on 2 October 2015 through a restructuring of Google, which was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998. Google was originally a search engine but gradually evolved into a diversified technology company, covering advertising, cloud services, mobile platforms, and other areas.

By 2015, Google’s scope and diversification had made its management increasingly complex. As a result, a holding structure – Alphabet Inc. – was established, with Google becoming one of its divisions, focusing on core businesses (Search, YouTube, and Android). At the same time, innovative projects, such as Waymo and Verily, were spun off into separate companies under Alphabet’s management.

Since the restructuring, Alphabet has replaced Google as the listed public company on the stock exchange, retaining its existing tickers (GOOGL and GOOG). Larry Page became Alphabet’s CEO, Sergey Brin its President, and Pichai Sundararajan was appointed CEO of Google.

Alphabet is listed on the stock exchange under two tickers, GOOGL and GOOG:

• GOOGL (Class A) – voting shares. Holders of these shares are entitled to vote at shareholder meetings (1 share = 1 vote).
• GOOG (Class C) – non-voting shares. These shares provide the same economic rights (dividends, capital appreciation) but do not grant holders the right to participate in the company’s management.

Alphabet Inc.’s main revenue streams

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google and other subsidiaries, generates revenue from several business segments. The primary sources of revenue are outlined below:

• Google services: the largest source of income, driven primarily by advertising. This includes:

##. Google Search and others: revenue from advertisements placed on Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, and other Google-owned services.

##. YouTube ads: revenue from banner ads, skippable and non-skippable video ads, and overlay ads on YouTube.

##. Subscriptions, platforms, and devices: revenue from subscription services, including YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, Google One, and NFL Sunday Ticket. This category also includes app sales, in-game purchases via the Google Play Store, and sales of hardware such as Pixel phones, Nest and Chromecast devices.

• Google Cloud: revenue from cloud computing services, including infrastructure, platform solutions, and apps such as Google Workspace and Gemini for Cloud. Google Cloud serves corporate clients and is growing rapidly, although it still lags behind competitors such as AWS and Microsoft Azure.
• Other Bets: includes Alphabet’s ambitious ventures, such as Waymo (autonomous driving), Verily (healthcare), and GFiber (internet services), with most of the revenue coming from the latter two. Although this segment contributes less to overall revenue, it focuses on long-term innovation and often operates at a loss.
• Alphabet operations: includes small currency-related hedging revenue and other corporate activities. This is not the primary segment but includes other income unrelated to the core segments.

Advertising remains the primary source of Alphabet’s revenue, with Google services, notably Search and YouTube, leading the way. Google Cloud is a growing revenue stream, reflecting Alphabet’s commitment to developing solutions for companies, while other projects are speculative investments with a limited but increasing impact on revenues.

Alphabet Inc.’s financial position

Alphabet Inc. is in a strong financial position, reflecting both stability and strategic momentum. The company continues to deliver steady revenue growth, driven primarily by its advertising operations, particularly via Google Search and YouTube.

Alphabet closed 2024 with revenue of 350 billion USD, a 14% year-on-year increase. Net income rose by 28% to 100 billion USD.

Google Services, which include Search, YouTube, and other platforms, generated 84.1 billion USD in revenue in 2024, up 10% from 2023. The Google Cloud segment also expanded, reaching 12 billion USD, a 10% increase from the previous year.

Alphabet plans to invest around 75 billion USD in 2025, significantly higher than the 52 billion USD in 2024. The primary objective is to expand its AI infrastructure and capabilities. CEO Sundar Pichai emphasised the importance of AI across all the company’s products.

Alphabet Inc. Q1 2025 earnings results

On 24 April, Alphabet Inc. published its earnings report for Q1 2025, which ended on 31 March. The key figures are presented below, compared to the same period in 2024:

• Revenue: 90.2 billion USD (+12%)
• Net income: 34.5 billion USD (+46%)
• Earnings per share: 2.81 USD (+49%)
• Costs and expenses: 59.6 billion USD (+8%)
• Operating income: 30.6 billion USD (+20%)
• Operating margin: 34% (+200 basis points)

Revenue by segment:

• Google Services: 77.3 billion USD (+10%)
• Google advertising: 66.9 billion USD (+8%)

##. Google Search & other: 50.7 billion USD (+10%)

##. YouTube ads: 8.9 billion USD (+10%)

##. Google Network: 7.3 billion USD (–2%)

##. Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices: 10.4 billion USD (+19%)

• Google Cloud: 12.3 billion USD (+28%)
• Other Bets: 0.4 billion USD (–10%)

Alphabet’s Q1 2025 report showed resilient growth, enhancing the appeal of the company’s shares to investors. Revenue rose 12% year-on-year, driven by strong performance in its Search division, YouTube, and Google Cloud, while net profit increased by 46%.

The Search segment remains the primary source of revenue, with the rollout of AI Overviews reaching 1.5 billion monthly users, boosting engagement without undermining monetisation. YouTube continues to lead in the streaming segment, boasting a subscriber base of 270 million (across YouTube and Google One), which contributes to a steady stream of high-margin revenue. Google Cloud reported 28% revenue growth and a 17.8% margin, reinforcing the company’s strategic focus on AI infrastructure. The planned acquisition of Wiz for 32 billion USD, expected to close in 2026, will strengthen Alphabet’s cloud security position and enhance its competitiveness in the market.

Alphabet announced a 70 billion USD share buyback and a 5% increase in quarterly dividends, now at 0.21 USD per share, reflecting confidence in its outlook.

The company’s management did not provide specific guidance for Q2 2025, but the analyst consensus forecast expected revenue of 93.6 billion USD and earnings per share of 2.14 USD, indicating continued stable growth.

Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi highlighted the risks linked to tariffs, particularly affecting the advertising business in the Asia-Pacific region, but confirmed that capital expenditure in Q1 2025 (17.2 billion USD) was in line with the full-year plan. The company’s ongoing focus on innovation in Search, the expansion of its Cloud business, and the development of autonomous transport via Waymo (which now covers over 500 square miles) are creating multiple growth drivers.

Alphabet’s strong quarterly performance underscores its ability to adapt and grow even in a highly competitive environment. Its leadership in AI, continued growth in its Cloud division, and ongoing share buyback programs and dividend payouts make the company’s shares appealing to investors with a focus on future-facing technologies.

Alphabet Inc. Q2 2025 earnings results

On 23 July, Alphabet Inc. released its Q2 2025 earnings report for the quarter ended 30 June. The key figures, compared with the same period in 2024, are as follows:

• Revenue: 96.43 billion USD (+14%)
• Net income: 28.20 billion USD (+19%)
• Earnings per share (EPS): 2.31 USD (+22%)
• Costs and expenses: 65.16 billion USD (+14%)
• Operating income: 31.27 billion USD (+14%)
• Operating margin: 32.4% (+40 basis points)

Revenue by segment:

• Google Services: 82.5 billion USD (+12%)
• Google advertising: 71.34 billion USD (+10%)

##. Google Search & other: 54.19 billion USD (+11%)

##. YouTube ads: 9.79 billion USD (+13%)

##. Google Network: 7.35 billion USD (–1%)

##. Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices: 11.20 billion USD (+20%)

• Google Cloud: 13.62 billion USD (+32%)
• Other Bets: 0.37 billion USD (+2%)

Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) delivered strong Q2 2025 results, surpassing market expectations. Growth was fuelled by the rapid expansion of AI‑related initiatives and robust demand for cloud solutions. However, the report also highlighted several challenges that weighed on investor sentiment and the short‑term outlook for the stock.

Alphabet’s revenue reached approximately 96.4 billion USD, up 14% year-on-year. Earnings per share came in at 2.31 USD, exceeding both last year’s result (+22%) and the analyst consensus estimate of 2.14 USD. These figures signalled the company’s strong operating efficiency.

AI technologies and related products were the primary growth drivers:

• Google’s Search business delivered more than 11% growth in advertising revenue.
• YouTube ad revenue rose by approximately 13%.
• Google Cloud posted an outstanding 32% increase in revenue.

Additional growth catalysts included AI‑powered products, such as AI Overviews, AI Mode, and the Gemini chatbot, all of which were actively being integrated into the Google ecosystem. According to company data, AI Overviews were used by more than 2 billion users per month at the time, AI Mode had reached 100 million users in the US and India, and Gemini had 450 million active users.

In its forward guidance, Alphabet announced an increase in capital expenditure for 2025 from 75 billion USD to 85 billion USD. The funds were allocated to expanding data centres, developing cloud infrastructure, and scaling AI platforms – highlighting the seriousness of Alphabet’s strategy in its pursuit of AI leadership.

Despite the strong results, several weaknesses emerged in the report:

• The sharp rise in capital expenditure raised concerns over investment returns
• Operating losses in the Other Bets segment reached USD 1.25 billion, widening from the previous year.
• Questions arose about the viability of investments in areas such as Waymo.
• Regulatory risks have intensified, particularly with ongoing antitrust litigation in the US.

Following the earnings release, Alphabet shares opened 3.4% higher but gave up nearly all gains by the close. The increase in capital spending and continued losses from non-core projects led investors to question the sustainability of current growth rates and capital efficiency. Lingering regulatory risks further pressured sentiment, ultimately offsetting the initial optimism.

As of the report date, Alphabet’s market capitalisation stands at approximately USD 2.13 trillion. The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is around 20, with annual EPS at USD 9.39. This suggests the shares are not significantly overvalued, but nor do they appear deeply undervalued.

Alphabet continues to demonstrate the resilience of its business model and is expanding its footprint in the AI and cloud segments. However, rising capital expenditure and legal headwinds warrant a more cautious approach to investing in the company’s shares.

Alphabet Inc. Q3 2025 earnings results

On 29 October, Alphabet published its Q3 2025 results for the quarter ended 30 September. The key figures, compared with the same period in 2024, are as follows:

• Revenue: 102.35 billion USD (+16%)
• Net income: 34.98 billion USD (+33%)
• Earnings per share: 2.87 USD (+35%)
• Costs and expenses: 71.12 billion USD (+19%)
• Operating income: 34.69 billion USD (+22%)
• Operating margin: 31% (–100 bps)

Revenue by segment:

• Google Services: 87.05 billion USD (+14%)
• Google advertising: 71.18 billion USD (+13%)

##. Google Search & other: 56.57 billion USD (+15%)

##. YouTube ads: 10.26 billion USD (+15%)

##. Google Network: 7.35 billion USD (–3%)

##. Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices: 12.87 billion USD (+21%)

• Google Cloud: 15.16 billion USD (+34%)
• Other Bets: 0.34 billion USD (–11%)

Alphabet’s Q3 2025 report was exceptionally strong, far exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue reached 102.3 billion USD (+16% y/y) – the first time in the company’s history that quarterly revenue has surpassed 100 billion USD, compared with market forecasts of around that level.

Excluding a one-off fine from the European Commission, operating profit came to approximately 34.7 billion USD (+22% y/y), while the operating margin rose to 33.9% from 32.3% a year earlier. Adjusted earnings per share (non-GAAP EPS) were estimated at 3.10 USD, well above the consensus forecast of about 2.26 USD. In other words, the company outperformed expectations on both revenue and profit.

Growth was evident across all business areas. The core Google Services division generated 87.1 billion USD (+14%), including Search – 56.6 billion USD (+15%), YouTube Ads – 10.3 billion USD (+15%), and subscriptions, platforms, and devices – 12.9 billion USD (+21%). The Cloud segment expanded by 34% to 15.2 billion USD, with a backlog of 155 billion USD, reflecting sustained demand for AI infrastructure.

During the earnings call, management highlighted the success of its full-stack AI strategy – spanning proprietary TPU and Axion chips through to models and products. The company emphasised strong demand for AI-driven solutions across Search, YouTube, and Cloud, describing the quarter as highly successful with double-digit growth in all key areas.

While Alphabet did not provide detailed revenue or profit guidance for upcoming periods, it raised its full-year capital expenditure outlook to 91–93 billion USD (from 85 billion USD previously). It warned that CapEx would increase further in 2026 due to continued investment in data centres, energy, and AI infrastructure. This indicates that Alphabet anticipates sustained demand for its cloud and AI services over the coming years.

Analysis of key valuation multiples for Alphabet Inc.

Below are Alphabet’s key valuation multiples based on Q3 FY 2026 results, calculated using a share price of 328 USD.

Analysis of Alphabet Inc.’s valuation multiples – conclusion

Alphabet is in excellent financial shape: over the past twelve months, the company has generated 385.5 billion USD in revenue and 124 billion USD in net profit, with a net margin of 32%. Annual free cash flow totals 74 billion USD, while the balance sheet shows nearly 100 billion USD in cash against 22 billion USD in debt – a net cash position of around 77 billion USD. Interest expenses are easily covered by profits, confirming Alphabet’s strong financial resilience.

However, at the current share price of 328 USD, Alphabet appears expensive across most valuation multiples (P/S, EV/Sales, EV/EBIT, EV/EBITDA, P/FCF, and FCF yield). Investors are paying a premium for Alphabet’s central role in the AI cycle – its growth in advertising, cloud solutions, and AI service monetisation, as well as the expansion of its proprietary chips and infrastructure. Such a valuation is justified only if revenue and profit from AI-related businesses continue to grow at a strong pace for several years while sustaining high margins.

Expert forecasts for Alphabet Inc. stock

• Barchart: 44 out of 55 analysts rated Alphabet shares as a Strong Buy, 4 as a Moderate Buy, and 7 as Hold. The highest price target is 350 USD, and the lowest is 220 USD.
• MarketBeat: 35 out of 40 analysts assigned the stock a Buy rating, 3 a Hold, and 2 a Sell. The highest price target is 350 USD, and the lowest is 210 USD.
• TipRanks: 14 out of 15 analysts rated the stock as Buy and 1 as Hold. The highest price target is 350 USD, and the lowest is 255 USD.
• Stock Analysis: 16 out of 43 analysts rated the shares as a Strong Buy, 19 as Buy, and 8 as Hold. The highest price target is 355 USD, and the lowest is 190 USD.

Alphabet Inc. stock price forecast for 2025

On the weekly chart, Alphabet shares have broken above the upper boundary of the ascending channel and consolidated above the 300 USD level. In such cases, prices often continue to rise by the height of the breached channel, suggesting further upside for GOOG shares. However, the stock has experienced a rapid increase over the past three weeks without a noticeable correction, so a short-term pullback before the next upward wave remains likely. Based on the current performance of Alphabet Inc. shares, the potential scenarios for 2025 are as follows:

The base-case forecast for Alphabet shares anticipates a test of support at 300 USD, followed by a rebound and a rise towards resistance at 380 USD.

The alternative forecast for Alphabet stock should be considered if the 300 USD support level is breached. In this scenario, the correction may deepen, and GOOG shares could decline towards 255 USD.

Alphabet Inc. challenges NVIDIA’s dominance in the AI chip market

NVIDIA may not hold a formal monopoly, but it effectively dominates the market for AI data centre hardware. Alphabet is now seeking to disrupt this advantage by building its own ecosystem.

Alphabet has been developing its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for many years, deploying them across its core services – Search, YouTube, Maps, and its Gemini model. The latest generation, TPU v5p, can be combined into clusters of up to 8,960 chips and delivers substantial improvements in performance and energy efficiency compared with previous versions. This makes it a direct competitor to NVIDIA’s GPUs, but with full integration into the Google Cloud and Vertex AI ecosystems.

Previously, TPUs were used mainly within Google or offered to clients through cloud rental. However, the company is currently taking them to the external market – entering a space that NVIDIA had largely dominated until now.

A key part of Alphabet’s strategy is the creation of a complete technological stack – from hardware to software. In 2024, Google introduced its own server processor, Axion, based on Arm architecture, which the company claims outperforms rivals in both performance and energy efficiency. In combination with TPUs, networking solutions, and management systems such as AI Hypercomputer, Vertex AI, and TPU Command Center, this enables major clients to build fully functional AI clusters without relying on NVIDIA’s products.

Google has been actively demonstrating the capabilities of its technologies in practice – the new Gemini 3 model is trained and operates entirely on TPUs. According to several reviews, its performance and quality are comparable to, or even exceed, the latest versions of ChatGPT, making a persuasive case for potential enterprise clients.

Several recent developments have directly weakened NVIDIA’s position. On 27 August 2025, Meta signed a six-year cloud contract worth around 10 billion USD with Google Cloud to support large-scale AI projects, in which TPU chips and the Vertex AI platform play a central role. This is not a pilot initiative but a major commercial deal with a global client that will now use Google’s infrastructure instead of NVIDIA GPUs provided by other vendors.

On 21 October 2025, TrendForce confirmed that Axion server processors are being manufactured using TSMC’s advanced 3-nanometre process technology. This indicates that Alphabet is developing not experimental chips but a scalable, high-performance solution for its data centres – capable of competing directly with NVIDIA’s offerings.

In November 2025, it was reported that Meta entered negotiations to purchase TPUs from Google in a multi-billion-dollar deal. The company plans to rent TPUs via Google Cloud from 2026 and begin installing them in its own data centres from 2027. The total volume of these potential deals is estimated at several billion dollars and, according to Google Cloud’s internal assessments, could divert up to 10% of NVIDIA’s annual AI chip revenue.

Industry reports note that the market is gradually reassessing the structure of AI-related investments. As Alphabet achieves progress in chip design, cloud infrastructure, and the rollout of its Gemini model, investor sentiment is shifting: NVIDIA no longer appears to be the only clear beneficiary of the AI boom. Increasingly, Alphabet is viewed as a more balanced and diversified play on AI infrastructure and ecosystem growth, while NVIDIA’s shares are undergoing a correction following a prolonged rally.

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