Alphabet: Stock Attractive With Company Well-Placed to Navigate Antitrust Headwinds

We maintain our fair value estimate for Alphabet’s stock as Department of Justice outlines a raft of remedies

Malik Ahmed Khan 10 October, 2024 | 10:04AM
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On Oct. 8, the US Department of Justice released its remedy framework for the Google Search antitrust case against Alphabet GOOGL/GOOG, which included a slew of structural, contractual, and data-related remedies. While the final proposal will be filed on Nov. 20, this filing provides a flavor of what’s to come.

Key Morningstar Metrics for Alphabet

Fair Value Estimate: $209
• Morningstar Rating: 4 stars
• Morningstar Economic Moat Rating: Wide
• Morningstar Uncertainty Rating: Medium

Why it matters: This is arguably the most material antitrust case of the three that Alphabet faces. Remedies could potentially affect Alphabet’s cash engine, Google Search. As part of its remedy framework, the DOJ included the divestiture of Chrome and Android—a highly unlikely outcome. We remind investors that to impose a breakup, the DOJ has to prove other remedies won’t work by themselves. Beyond a breakup, we believe there will likely be restrictions on Alphabet’s exclusive agreements with companies like Apple AAPL and Samsung, both in the DOJ proposal and in the eventual judgment by US District Judge Amit Mehta. We don’t view this outcome as materially value-destructive for Alphabet.

The bottom line: We maintain our fair value estimate of $209 per share for Alphabet and continue to view the firm as well-placed to navigate the antitrust headwinds. While there is headline risk, as evidenced by the recent release and subsequent share price action, we believe investors can purchase Alphabet at an attractive price.

The big picture: Even as the antitrust case looms large, we’d ask investors to view Alphabet’s strengths as an overall business, with the firm well-positioned in many markets, including advertising, video, public cloud, and generative AI. We still view the firm’s efforts to diversify away from search-based advertising positively. In particular, we believe its investments in Google Cloud will be value-accretive as interest in AI accelerates public cloud spending.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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Securities Mentioned in Article

Security NamePriceChange (%)Morningstar
Rating
Alphabet Inc Class A166.95 USD-5.13Rating
Alphabet Inc Class C168.45 USD-5.01Rating

About Author

Malik Ahmed Khan  is an equity analyst, technology, for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.

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