We recently published a list of 11 Best Predictive Analytics Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) stands against other best predictive analytics stocks to buy according to analysts.
Predictive analytics, sometimes called big data analytics, is an integral part of today’s corporate arsenal. It is a subset of advanced analytics that makes use of statistical algorithms and machine learning techniques to predict future occurrences and gain insights from previous data. In addition, it includes tools and processes such as data mining and modeling, all aimed at examining data, identifying trends, and making informed predictions. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global predictive analytics industry was valued at $14.71 billion in 2023, and is predicted to reach $95.3 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.1%.
Companies are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition and make smart choices that lead to success. This has led to a growing reliance on data-driven decisions. With consolidated analytics, machine learning models, and AI technologies, it’s now possible to analyze more companies in a larger area range at a faster rate than ever before. This is especially true for the practice of venture capitalism. Many early-stage startup investors use data-driven decision-making to guide their lead sourcing and investments. While the instinct for scouting great investment opportunities is typically developed over years of experience, venture capital firms and associates can improve their scouting process by analyzing a variety of ecosystems. According to a data-driven VC analysis, by this year, data, analytics, and artificial intelligence would be used to guide investment decisions in 75% of all VC deals. This access to high-quality data reduces venture capitalists’ risk of losing out on opportunities and assists them in identifying high-potential firms that might otherwise go undiscovered. Moreover, the combination of predictive analytics with artificial intelligence has resulted in a significant improvement in the depth of data insights. According to a Fortune Business Insights report on the AI sector, it is predicted to grow rapidly, with a CAGR of 29.2%. This rise is expected to bring the industry’s size to $1.7 trillion by 2032, a significant increase from the $233.46 billion in 2024.
Predictive Analytics in Healthcare
Much like many other industries, predictive analytics can be a boon for the healthcare sector. Due to its data-driven approach, it offers the potential to improve preventative care, resource management, and operational efficiency. In this perspective, the global healthcare predictive analytics market was valued at $12.96 billion in 2023 and is expected to rise at a compound yearly growth rate of 35% between 2024 and 2032. Furthermore, the growing volume of healthcare data from numerous sources, including wearable devices, mobile health applications, and electronic health records (EHRs), creates new opportunities for sophisticated analytics solutions. To illustrate this, the World Economic Forum estimates that hospitals create 50 petabytes of data every year.
Our Methodology
To come up with our list of the 11 best predictive analytics stocks to buy, we went through a variety of online publications, ETFs, and stock screeners. We then looked at the analyst upside of each company and ranked the ones with the highest upside potential. Our ranking is arranged in ascending order of analyst upside as of March 10, 2025. Additionally, we have included the hedge fund sentiment around each stock, as of Q4 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A user’s hands typing a search query into a Google Search box, emphasizing the company’s search capabilities.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Analysts’ Upside: 23.98%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 234
A key player in the technology sector, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is led by Google, a search engine that handles billions of search queries every day. The company owns a number of applications and productivity platforms, the most notable of which being YouTube. The company is a data analytics pioneer, having used predictive metrics in Google Analytics for many years. Furthermore, its marketing analytics solution enables businesses to drastically improve customer experience by leveraging valuable insights from data.
On February 5, Needham analyst Laura Martin reiterated a Buy rating and a $225 price target for GOOGL shares. Martin mentioned the company’s outstanding 12% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4 2024, attributed mostly to strong success in Google Search and Cloud. The company’s cloud sector also reported a 30% boost in sales, owing to high demand for AI-powered products and significant acquisitions totaling more than $1 billion.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is doubling down on its AI-driven development strategy, with a $75 billion capital expenditure plan for 2025 that prioritizes investments in technical infrastructure such as servers and data centers. This investment demonstrates the company’s commitment to expanding its AI capabilities and satisfying rising demand for AI-powered services.
Qualivian Investment Partners stated the following regarding Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
“Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL): Q2 2024 revenues and EPS beat expectations, with total revenues growing 14%, Search ad revenues growing 14%, YouTube ads growing 13%, and Google Cloud revenues growing 29%. Revenue growth in the quarter constituted a continued sequential improvement from earlier quarters in the year, suggesting a continued rebound in Alphabet’s core business except for YouTube ad revenues, which missed expectations and showed deceleration in the growth rate as compared to Q1 when it grew 21%. Operating margins improved by 310 bps vs. the same quarter last year.
Management continued to highlight developments with their generative AI program, which is seen as a foundational platform with opportunities across their businesses but particularly in search and cloud. However, this comes with material capex investment well ahead of the expected economic benefits from Gen AI, and the level of spending is leading investors to worry about the ROI on that spend for Alphabet, as well as the other hyperscalers (Microsoft and Amazon). We continue to have confidence in Alphabet’s ability to generate strong revenue, earnings, and cash flow growth well above the S&P 500’s in the years to come and view it as a core holding for the long term.”
Overall, GOOGL ranks 7th on our list of best predictive analytics stocks to buy according to analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of GOOGL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than GOOGL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
