
Legendary investor Bill Ackman has bet big on Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL) over the last two years, with a stake unveiled in 2023. The initial stake and increased position size in the Google parent have paid off nicely for Ackman since the end of the second quarter.
- GOOGL shares are testing new highs. Stay ahead of the curve here.
Ackman's Alphabet Stake
Ackman took an initial stake in Alphabet in 2023. Over time, the stock has become one of his top positions, with an increase in the holding during the second quarter of this year.
In the April-June quarter, Ackman increased the stake in Alphabet Class A (GOOGL) shares by 21% and the Class A and Class C shares made up two of the top 10 positions at the end of the quarter.
At the end of the second quarter, Ackman's Pershing Square owned the following stakes:
- GOOG: 6,324,031 shares
- GOOGL: 5,362,980 shares
Here were the closing prices for the stocks on June 30 at the end of the second quarter:
- GOOG: $177.39
- GOOGL: $176.23
Based on the current prices of $286.89 (GOOG) and $286.09 (GOOGL) for Alphabet stocks today, Ackman is up significantly since the end of the second quarter, assuming he hasn’t trimmed his holdings.
Here’s a look at how much Ackman and Pershing Square made from their stakes in Alphabet stock.
- GOOG: stake now worth $1,814,301,253.59, up $692,481,394.50 since the second quarter.
- GOOGL: stake now worth $1,534,294,948.20, up $589,176,982.80 since the second quarter.
Together, the two stakes are now up over $1.28 billion since June.
Alphabet Stock Hits New All-Time Highs
Ackman's bet on Alphabet has paid off with shares now hitting all-time highs on Thursday after the company reported third-quarter financial results Wednesday after market close.
The company beat analyst estimates for both revenue and earnings per share. The company also raised its capital-expenditure guidance and highlighted "strong momentum" going forward.
Alphabet hit its 52-week low in April and shares traded lower during the second quarter. The stock is now up over 50% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the gains of the S&P 500, with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) up 17.2% year-to-date.
While it is unknown exactly when Ackman bought his Alphabet shares and if Pershing Square still holds the stakes, the positions are up significantly since the end of the second quarter.
Investors will be closely monitoring Ackman’s third-quarter portfolio, which will be released by mid-November.
Portions of this article were previously published by Benzinga and have been updated.
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