Insider Trading January 23, 2026

Alphabet CEO Sells $10.6 Million in Class C Stock; Ownership Trimmed

Pichai Sundar disposed of 30,521 Class C shares on Jan. 21, 2026; analysts and strategic updates spotlight AI and cloud security developments

By Nina Shah GOOGL
Alphabet CEO Sells $10.6 Million in Class C Stock; Ownership Trimmed
GOOGL

Alphabet Inc. Chief Executive Pichai Sundar sold 30,521 shares of Class C Capital Stock on January 21, 2026, in a transaction totaling $10,637,367, according to a Form 4 filed with the SEC. The sale reduced his direct holdings of Class C stock to 2,211,872 shares while he continues to own 227,560 shares of Class A common stock. The filing arrives amid analyst price-target changes and strategic commentary related to AI and a pending EU review of Alphabet's proposed $32 billion acquisition of Wiz.

Key Points

  • Pichai Sundar sold 30,521 shares of Alphabet Class C stock on January 21, 2026, for a total of $10,637,367.
  • After the sale, Sundar's direct Class C holdings decreased to 2,211,872 shares; he still directly owns 227,560 Class A shares.
  • Analyst moves and strategic updates include raised price targets from Stifel ($346) and RBC ($375), Cantor Fitzgerald's Neutral rating amid an EU review of Alphabet's $32 billion Wiz acquisition, and industry commentary on AI developments.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Chief Executive Pichai Sundar executed a sale of 30,521 shares of the company's Class C Capital Stock on January 21, 2026, the company reported in a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The shares were sold across a price range of $320.35 to $331.97 per share, producing a total transaction value of $10,637,367.


Ownership impact

Following the sale, Pichai Sundar's direct ownership of Alphabet Class C Capital Stock stands at 2,211,872 shares, per the filing. In addition to his Class C holdings, he directly retains 227,560 shares of Class A Common Stock.


Analyst activity and strategic context

The insider transaction occurred as several analysts updated their views on Alphabet. Stifel increased its price target on Alphabet to $346 and maintained a Buy rating, citing expectations that fourth-quarter advertising results in Search and YouTube will outpace Wall Street consensus. RBC Capital raised its price target to $375 and kept an Outperform rating, noting that AI Overviews ads are now fully integrated across multiple platforms.

Cantor Fitzgerald maintained a Neutral rating on Alphabet, calling attention to the pending regulatory review in the European Union of Alphabet's proposed $32 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz. The EU decision is expected by February 2026, according to the commentary referenced in the filing.


AI commentary from industry leaders

Executives in the broader AI sector have also been publicly commenting on technology developments. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis discussed the company's progress in artificial intelligence, emphasizing extensive capabilities across AI technologies. Separately, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced upcoming releases tied to Codex-related products and underscored the company's emphasis on achieving advanced cybersecurity preparedness.


These notes place the insider sale within a wider environment of analyst optimism on advertising performance, ongoing AI development discussions, and regulatory attention around Alphabet's strategic acquisition. The Form 4 filing provides a precise record of the transaction and the immediate effect on the CEO's directly held share counts.

Risks

  • Regulatory uncertainty: The European Union's pending decision on Alphabet's $32 billion Wiz acquisition, expected by February 2026, introduces potential regulatory risk for the cloud security and broader enterprise software sectors.
  • Market sensitivity to advertising performance: Analyst expectations that Search and YouTube ad results will exceed consensus mean that advertising revenue outcomes could materially influence market perceptions of Alphabet and the online advertising sector.
  • Execution and integration risks tied to AI and product launches: Public commentary from AI leaders highlights progress and upcoming product releases, but the timing and market reception of these developments could affect investor sentiment in the technology and cybersecurity markets.

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