Technology

Which Analysts Are Chasing Alphabet Price Targets Higher

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Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) reported second-quarter 2016 results after markets closed Thursday. Although the company underperformed in its first-quarter earnings report, this report more than made up for it by pushing shares to just under their all-time highs. As a result analysts across the board gave their two cents on Alphabet and where the company stands to go from here.

24/7 Wall St. has included some highlights from the earnings report, as well as what analysts are saying about the stock after the fact.

The search engine behemoth reported adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $8.42 on revenues of $21.5 billion. In the year-ago quarter, Alphabet posted EPS of $6.99 on revenues of $17.73 billion. Analysts had pegged EPS at $8.04 on revenues of $20.76 billion.

The Google segment posted revenues of $21.32 billion, up from $17.65 billion a year ago. Operating income rose from $5.61 billion to $6.99 billion. The operating loss on other (Bets) revenues totaled $859 million, up from $660 million in the year ago quarter.

Revenues at Google websites rose 24% to $15.4 billion, and Google Network revenues rose 3% to $3.74 billion. Ad revenues rose 19% to $19.14 billion.

Because Alphabet does not break out the source of advertising revenues, it’s a little hard to draw any conclusion other than a 19% jump is nice indeed. When Facebook reported results on Wednesday, the social media giant posted ad revenues of $6.24, of which 84% came from mobile advertising. Alphabet does not appear to be having much luck there.

Traffic acquisition costs paid to Google Network members rose to 70% of Network revenues, or $2.62 billion. Payments to distribution partners totaled $1.35 billion, about 9% of websites revenues. Total traffic acquisition costs rose to $3.98 billion and were flat year over year as a percentage total ad revenues (21%).

Paid clicks on Google websites were up 37% year over year and up 9% sequentially. Paid clicks on the Network members sites were flat year over year and down 3% sequentially. Aggregate cost per click fell 7% compared with the year ago quarter and was down 1% sequentially.

After the earnings report, a sizable number of analysts weighed in on Alphabet:

  • Deutsche Bank lowered its price target to $1,050 from $1,100.
  • Baird raised the price target to $900 from $860.
  • Citigroup raised its price target to $910 from $900.
  • Credit Suisse has an Outperform rating and raised price target to $940 from $920.
  • Goldman Sachs raised its price target from $810 to $930.
  • Jefferies raised its price target to $1,000 from $925.
  • JMP raised the price target to $928 from $904.
  • JPMorgan has an Overweight rating and raised its price target to $950.
  • Macquarie raised its price target to $975 from $890.
  • Mizuho Securities revised the price target to $1,020 from $1,010.
  • Moffett Nathanson raised its price target to $925 from $880.
  • Needham has a Buy rating and raised its price target to $900 from $825.
  • Pacific Crest raised the price target to $960 from $910.
  • Piper Jaffray raised price target to $930 from $911.
  • Raymond James has an Outperform rating and raised its target to $900 from $820.
  • Stifel raised the price target from $888 to $925.
  • SunTrust Robinson has a Buy rating and raised its price target to $900 from $850.
  • UBS raised the price target to $925 from $880.
  • Wedbush has a Neutral rating and raised its price target to $880.

Shares of Alphabet closed trading at $791.34 on Friday, with a consensus analyst price target of $908.93 and a 52-week trading range of $593.09 to $810.35.

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