Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) Stock Today – November 18, 2025: AI Bubble Warnings, Buffett’s Big Bet and a Fresh Wall Street Upgrade

Alphabet stock is back in the spotlight today, 18 November 2025, as CEO Sundar Pichai warns about a potential AI bubble, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway’s new multi‑billion‑dollar stake continues to reverberate through markets, and Loop Capital upgrades the shares to Buy with a sharply higher price target.

Below is a full rundown of how Alphabet is trading today, what’s driving the move, and the key news from this morning that investors are watching.

Alphabet stock today: price action and market context

As of midday trading on Tuesday, November 18, Alphabet’s Class A shares (GOOGL) are changing hands around $279–$280, down roughly 2% from Monday’s close of $285.02. Class C shares (GOOG) show a similar move lower after recently setting fresh record highs above $291. ^[1]

That pullback comes against a broad tech selloff:

The S&P 500 is down about 1.3%.
The Nasdaq is off nearly 1.8%, pressured by declines in other AI leaders like Nvidia, Amazon and Meta, which are down between roughly 3% and 4%. ^[2]

Even after today’s dip, Alphabet remains one of 2025’s standout mega‑cap winners:

Over the past year, the stock has climbed around 45%–55%, depending on the share class and data source. ^[3]
Alphabet’s market capitalisation is close to $3 trillion, with a trailing P/E ratio in the mid‑20s, leaving it cheaper on earnings than some other AI‑heavy peers despite its big run.

Alphabet is also trading only a few percentage points below its recent all‑time highs, with a 52‑week high around $293.95 and a record closing price of $291.31 set last week. ^[4]

Pichai warns no company is “immune” if the AI bubble bursts

The dominant story around Alphabet today is CEO Sundar Pichai’s latest caution about AI valuations.

In a new interview with the BBC, reported by outlets including Reuters and Mint, Pichai said that if the current AI investment boom proves to be a bubble and bursts, “no company is going to be immune, including us.” ^[5]

Key points from his comments:

Pichai described the current AI investment wave as an “extraordinary moment” but acknowledged “irrational” phases in the cycle, explicitly comparing it to the dot‑com boom and bust. ^[6]
He noted that Alphabet has dramatically ramped up AI‑related capital expenditures, from under $30 billion per year four years ago to over $90 billion expected this year, and said that across the industry, AI infrastructure investments now total more than $1 trillion. ^[7]
Despite bubble concerns, Pichai argued that AI will likely prove as structurally important as the internet, creating long‑term transformation even if speculative excesses get washed out. ^[8]
He also warned about the massive energy demands of AI data centres, suggesting these could delay Alphabet’s net‑zero emissions timetable, a potential ESG and regulatory talking point for investors. ^[9]

The interview coincides with a broader bout of global risk‑off sentiment. A live blog from The Guardian today notes that global markets are logging a fourth straight day of losses, with investors increasingly nervous that AI‑linked mega‑caps have run too far, too fast and that volatility could spike around Nvidia’s upcoming earnings. ^[10]

Ironically, Pichai’s sober tone on AI valuations comes just as Alphabet’s own stock sits near record highs—underlining the tension between AI‑driven fundamentals and market exuberance.

Buffett’s Berkshire stake keeps Alphabet in focus

Today’s trading is also taking place in the shadow of Warren Buffett’s rare big‑tech bet on Alphabet, disclosed yesterday via Berkshire Hathaway’s quarterly 13F filing.

According to multiple reports:

Berkshire has acquired roughly 17.8 million Class A (GOOGL) shares, a stake valued around $4.3–$5.0 billion at recent prices. ^[11]
The holding immediately makes Alphabet one of Berkshire’s top ten positions and marks a notable pivot for the conglomerate, which historically has been cautious on high‑growth tech. ^[12]
News of the stake sent Alphabet shares up more than 5% on Monday, lifting them to new record territory and setting the stage for today’s pullback. ^[13]

Coverage from Barron’s and others notes that Buffett and longtime partner Charlie Munger had openly regretted not buying Google years ago, despite praising the strength of its search advertising business as early as 2017. ^[14]

While the exact decision‑maker behind the trade (Buffett himself vs. lieutenants Todd Combs or Ted Weschler) is unclear, the size of the position and its timing—just as AI bubble worries intensify—has been interpreted by many as a strong vote of confidence in Alphabet’s long‑term AI strategy, even if the near‑term path is volatile. ^[15]

Loop Capital upgrade: new “Buy” rating and $320 target on AI strength

Adding to the day’s headlines, Loop Capital this morning upgraded Alphabet from Hold to Buy, lifting its price target from $260 to $320. ^[16]

In its note, highlighted by Investing.com, Loop Capital argues that:

Fears that AI features would cannibalise search advertising are easing, with Google Search “remaining as healthy as ever.”
New AI experiences like AI Overviews in Search and AI Mode, as well as the Gemini model family, are helping Google preserve engagement rather than erode it.
Loop says traffic share to Gemini has doubled year‑over‑year, a sign that Alphabet’s AI platform is gaining traction alongside search rather than replacing it. ^[17]
The firm is also more bullish on Google Cloud, boosting its growth outlook while maintaining a robust valuation multiple for that segment as AI workloads ramp. ^[18]

Separately, recent data show the Street‑wide consensus price target on Alphabet has climbed from about $305.66 to $318.24 in recent weeks, implying mid‑teens percentage upside from today’s roughly $279–$280 share price. ^[19]

A MarketWatch‑syndicated article this morning describes Loop Capital as the “newest Google bull,” arguing that despite the stock having roughly doubled from its 2025 lows, the combination of improving fundamentals and AI optionality still justifies a constructive stance. ^[20]

Fundamentals: a record‑breaking Q3 underpins the rally

Today’s news sits on top of very strong recent fundamentals.

Alphabet’s third‑quarter 2025 earnings, reported on October 29, marked the company’s first‑ever quarter with more than $100 billion in revenue:

Consolidated revenue reached about $102.3 billion, up roughly 16% year over year.
Earnings per share came in around $2.87, a 35%+ year‑over‑year increase, beating expectations. ^[21]
Google Cloud revenue jumped by about 34% year over year, with its AI infrastructure and generative AI offerings helping expand backlog by about $49 billion in just three months, according to Reuters. ^[22]
Alphabet sharply raised its 2025 capital expenditure guidance to approximately $91–$93 billion, focused largely on AI data centres and custom AI chips (TPUs), up from earlier guidance in the mid‑$80 billion range. ^[23]

These results helped kick off the latest leg of the rally and are a big reason why investors like Berkshire and Loop Capital are willing to look past short‑term volatility and AI‑bubble chatter.

Regulatory, legal and security storylines investors are tracking

Alongside the AI and valuation debate, Alphabet continues to face regulatory and legal overhangs that could shape its risk profile:

EU antitrust: “spam policy” probe

On November 13, the European Commission opened a new antitrust investigation into Google’s so‑called spam policy, following complaints from publishers who argue Google’s changes have reduced traffic and advertising revenues. ^[24]

The probe raises the risk of another substantial fine under the EU’s competition rules and adds to Alphabet’s long list of global regulatory battles.

AI defamation lawsuit in Delaware

Today Benzinga reported that Google has asked a Delaware state court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by conservative influencer Robby Starbuck, who claims the company’s AI chatbots generated false and damaging statements about him. ^[25]

According to the filing:

Google argues Starbuck misused developer AI tools to intentionally prompt “hallucinated” outputs and has not shown that any third party actually saw or believed the statements. ^[26]
Starbuck’s lawyer blasted the company’s stance as “rank falsehood and victim blaming,” calling the case a warning sign for users of Google’s AI products. ^[27]

While the financial impact of this single case is likely limited, it illustrates the legal uncertainties around generative AI outputs—an area investors increasingly watch across the entire AI sector.

Security concerns: Chrome emergency update

Separately, security reporting from Forbes today says Google has pushed an emergency Chrome update following confirmation of active attacks, urging as many as 2 billion users to update their browsers immediately. ^[28]

Security patches are routine for large software platforms, but the scale of Chrome’s user base means that high‑profile vulnerabilities can affect Google’s reputation and reinforce regulators’ focus on platform safety.

How today’s Alphabet stock story fits together

Put together, the 18 November 2025 Alphabet narrative blends short‑term volatility with long‑term conviction:

Price action: After a powerful Buffett‑driven rally on Monday, Alphabet is taking a breather, trading about 2% lower and roughly in line with a broader tech and AI selloff today. ^[29]
Valuations and AI bubble fears: Pichai’s warning that no company is immune from an AI bust echoes a wider market debate and has become a focal quote for today’s coverage—especially with AI leaders near record highs. ^[30]
Supportive fundamentals: Blockbuster Q3 numbers, accelerating cloud growth and a massive AI infrastructure build‑out continue to underpin the bull case. ^[31]
Endorsements: Berkshire’s multi‑billion‑dollar stake and Loop Capital’s new Buy rating with a $320 target highlight that influential investors and analysts still see room for upside, even after a strong year. ^[32]
Risks: Regulatory scrutiny in Europe, lawsuits around AI outputs, and security issues like the Chrome vulnerability remain key watchpoints, especially if market sentiment turns more fragile. ^[33]

For now, Alphabet remains a central character in the AI market story: a company simultaneously warning about speculative excess, spending tens of billions to lead the AI race, and attracting some of the world’s most famous value investors.

What to watch next

Investors and market watchers monitoring Alphabet over the next few days will likely focus on:

Nvidia’s upcoming earnings, which could either validate or puncture AI‑related valuations across big tech. ^[34]
Any follow‑up detail from Pichai or Google on AI energy use, UK investment plans, and how the company balances climate goals with infrastructure growth. ^[35]
Further analyst reactions to the Berkshire stake and Loop Capital upgrade—particularly whether other firms raise their own price targets or earnings estimates. ^[36]
Developments in the EU spam policy probe and the Delaware AI defamation case, which could set precedents for how regulators and courts treat AI‑generated content. ^[37]

As always, this article is for information only and not investment advice. Alphabet’s stock is at the intersection of powerful long‑term trends and short‑term market swings, and anyone considering an investment should do their own research or consult a qualified financial adviser.

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