Here’s Why Alphabet (GOOG) Rose in Q2

The London Company, an investment management company, released “The London Company Large Cap Strategy” second quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The US stocks’ performance was mixed in the second quarter measured by the Russell 3000 Index’s 3.2% return.  The fund declined 1.9% (2.0% net) during the quarter compared to a 3.6% return for the Russell 1000 Index. For more information on the fund’s top picks in 2024, please check its top five holdings.

The London Company Large Cap Strategy highlighted stocks like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) in its Q2 2024 investor letter. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), the parent company of Google, offers various platforms and services operating through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The one-month return of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) was -15.50%, and its shares gained 21.99% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On August 2, 2024, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) stock closed at $168.40 per share with a market capitalization of $1.965 trillion.

The London Company Large Cap Strategy stated the following regarding Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) – GOOG was a top performer this quarter as it reported strong Search revenue, tighter cost controls, and momentum in Cloud. Both direct and brand Search ads were better than expected and the strength in YouTube monetization continues. Expense controls have translated to 700bps of margin improvement. Management is removing layers to improve efficiency, which should drive margins higher. GOOG also provided details on paths to monetize Al for advertisers. GOOG initiated a dividend during the quarter to return additional cash to shareholders. It has a solid balance sheet, significant market share, and generates strong returns.”

A user’s hands typing a search query into a Google Search box, emphasizing the company’s search capabilities.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is in 7th position on our list of 31 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 165 hedge fund portfolios held Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) at the end of the first quarter which was 166 in the previous quarter. In the first quarter Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) generated $80.5 billion in revenues, up 15% year-over-year (see the details here). While we acknowledge the potential of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

In another article, we discussed Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and shared Conventum – Alluvium Global Fund’s views on the company. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) was a significant contributor to the returns of multiple investment firms in Q2 2024 like Wedgewood Partners and Vulcan Value Partners. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2024 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.