Google stock’s best year since 2009 sets up a tougher 2026 test for Alphabet’s AI spending
Alphabet shares surged 65% in 2025, their best year since 2009, driven by investor interest in AI. Wall Street expects 2026 earnings growth to slow to 6% as capital spending rises nearly 29% to $114.3 billion. Google Cloud remains a key focus, with $155 billion in backlog and 33.5% revenue growth in Q3. Alphabet’s class A shares were down 0.3% at $313 Friday morning.