Here's Why Alphabet Shares Popped Today (And Why Investors Have High Hopes for the Upcoming Results)

By Lee Samaha – Apr 14, 2026 at 1:41PM ESTKey PointsAlphabet's AI and cloud businesses continue to drive growth and investor optimism.Anthropic's deal with Google boosts confidence in Google's AI capabilities.Shares in Google-owner Alphabet (GOOG +3.08%) (GOOGL +3.21%) rose by 3.3% by 12:30 pm today. The move comes after an analyst at a heavyweight company, Citi, placed the company on a "90-day catalyst watch" and raised the price target to $405 from a previous target of $390. Positive news coming for Alphabet? The analyst is clearly expecting good news from Alphabet's forthcoming earnings report on April 29 , not least because current trading appears strong and the company may report product upgrades as well. Image source: Getty Images. Alphabet retains a dominant position in search, and Google Cloud is fast-growing into a major profit center for the company, contributing almost 15% of operating income in the last reported quarter. While there are question marks around Waymo (reported in Alphabet's "other bets" businesses) and its path to profitability amid potential cost-competitive pressure from Tesla, Alphabet is favored by equity and bond analysts alike as one of the best ways to profit from the AI revolution. The mammoth cash flows from search and other Google services ensure the company can meet its AI spending commitments. ExpandNASDAQ: GOOGAlphabetToday's Change(3.08%) $9.84Current Price$329.05Key Data PointsMarket Cap$3.8TDay's Range$321.17 - $330.5352wk Range$148.40 - $350.15Volume463KAvg Vol22MGross Margin59.68%Dividend Yield0.26% AI-related growth Moreover, its AI capabilities were boosted by the recent news that leading AI player Anthropic had signed an agreement to buy computing power from Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), its AI accelerators developed to speed up workloads. Google uses them internally, but the Anthropic deal opens the possibility of more deals and strengthens Google Cloud's market position, while also supporting the development of future TPUs. If Citi's analyst is correct, Alphabet's management may soon have more positive developments to report.Read NextApr 14, 2026 •By Keithen DruryShould You Buy Alphabet Stock Before April 29?Apr 14, 2026 •By Scott LevineBest Cloud Computing Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestApr 14, 2026 •By Keithen DruryDid Anthropic, Alphabet, and Broadcom Just Say Checkmate to Nvidia?Apr 13, 2026 •By Keith NoonanBest Blue Chip Stocks to Buy in 2026: Should You Invest?Apr 13, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloBest Wind Energy Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestApr 13, 2026 •By Jeremy BowmanWho Owns Temu? Largest Shareholders & Board of DirectorsAbout the AuthorLee Samaha is a contributing Stock Market Analyst at The Motley Fool covering industrials, electricals, energy, materials, transportation, and infrastructure stocks. Prior to The Motley Fool, Lee was a Civil Engineer and Investment Manager. He holds a Bachelor of Civil and Structural Engineering from Southampton University and a Certificate in Investment Management from Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Lee first cut his investing teeth on The Motley Fool bulletin boards (commonly referred to as the “Fool Boards,”) and he’s infinitely grateful to all of the investors he learned from in this powerful investing community.TMFSaintGermainX@LeeSamahaStocks MentionedAlphabetNASDAQ: GOOGL$331.70(+3.23%)+$10.39AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOG$329.16(+3.12%)+$9.95TeslaNASDAQ: TSLA$363.63(+3.18%)+$11.21CitigroupNYSE: C$130.38(+3.25%)+$4.10*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.