Alphabet A: Needham Maintains Buy, Raises PT to $260 from $220.

Alphabet A: Needham Maintains Buy, Raises PT to $260 from $220.

September 02, 2025 - Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) received a positive boost today as Needham & Company raised its price target for the tech giant to $260 from $220, maintaining its "Buy" rating. The move follows a favorable antitrust ruling that spared Google from forced divestments, including the Chrome browser.

The U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta's decision was seen as a significant victory for Alphabet, allowing the company to continue its search distribution position through traffic acquisition costs (TAC) payments to partners. This ruling preserves Google's ability to maintain its dominant position in internet search, which is a critical revenue driver for the company.

Needham analyst Justin Post highlighted that the judgment preserves Google's ability to maintain its search distribution position through TAC payments to partners. Given the superior monetization of Google search, Post believes most partners will remain aligned with Google, with little incentive to develop their own search capabilities.

In the aftermath of the ruling, Alphabet's stock surged, reflecting investor optimism. The stock price increase underscores the market's confidence in the company's ability to navigate regulatory challenges while maintaining its market leadership.

References:
[1] https://stockanalysis.com/stocks/googl/
[2] https://www.marketscreener.com/news/needham-adjusts-price-target-on-alphabet-to-260-from-220-maintains-buy-rating-ce7d59dad18bfe23
[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/03/bank-of-america-raises-price-targets-for-googl-aapl.html