Summary
- Alphabet shares eased intraday as investors weighed fresh product and legal headlines; at 1:44 p.m. ET, Class A GOOGL traded near $286.17 (-1.76%) and Class C GOOG at $286.76 (-1.71%).
- Waymo expands to freeway robotaxi routes across San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix—initially for early‑access riders. 1
- Brussels readies a fresh competition probe into how Google ranks news publishers, per FT reporting. 2
- Google files a sweeping anti‑smishing lawsuit in New York targeting an alleged China‑based phishing‑as‑a‑service network. 3
- New “Private AI Compute” platform promises cloud‑scale Gemini AI processing with on‑device‑style privacy guarantees. 4
- Energy & cloud deals: a 15‑year Ohio solar power PPA with TotalEnergies and a cloud cooperation pact with Turkcell. 5
Market action
Alphabet slipped in midday trade as the tape digested a mixed bundle of catalysts—autonomy expansion via Waymo, a prospective EU probe, and fresh cybersecurity and infrastructure news. As of 1:44 p.m. ET (18:44 UTC), GOOGL changed hands at $286.17 and GOOG at $286.76; intraday highs/lows were $294.59 / $283.70 for GOOGL and $294.94 / $284.41 for GOOG.
What’s moving Alphabet today
Waymo takes robotaxis onto freeways
Alphabet’s self‑driving unit Waymo began offering freeway segments on select routes in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, extending beyond surface streets. The capability will roll out first to early‑access users and includes new safety protocols developed with local agencies, with airport coverage expanding around San Jose. Investors see the move as both a competitive milestone and a regulatory test case. 1
EU readies a new probe over news rankings
The European Commission is preparing an investigation into Google’s treatment of news publishers in Search—specifically around ranking of outlets that carry “third‑party” promotional content—under the Digital Markets Act regime. Potential penalties can reach up to 10% of global turnover for non‑compliance. The report surfaced today via the Financial Times, and was echoed by financial wires. Regulatory overhang in the EU remains a recurrent headline risk for the stock. 2
Google sues to dismantle global ‘smishing’ network
Google filed suit in U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.) against 25 unnamed defendants said to operate a phishing‑as‑a‑service toolkit dubbed “Lighthouse.” The complaint alleges the group spun up ~200,000 fake sites over 20 days, targeting more than 1 million people across 120+ countries by impersonating brands including E‑ZPass and the U.S. Postal Service. Google seeks damages and injunctive relief to shutter the operation. Cybersecurity actions like this can bolster brand trust, though near‑term stock impact is typically modest. 3
‘Private AI Compute’ aims to square cloud power with privacy
Following a company blog post, Google and multiple outlets detailed Private AI Compute, a cloud processing model that runs Gemini with on‑device‑style privacy, using trusted execution environments and remote attestation. The goal: unlock heavier AI tasks while keeping personal data inaccessible—even to Google—within a sealed cloud enclave. The announcement targets a core investor narrative: scaling AI while managing regulatory scrutiny around data protection. 4
Powering data centers with more renewables
TotalEnergies signed a 15‑year power purchase agreement to deliver 1.5 TWh of certified renewable electricity from its Montpelier (Ohio) solar farm to Google’s data‑center operations in the state—another brick in Alphabet’s pathway to support soaring AI compute with cleaner energy. Separately, Turkey’s Turkcell disclosed a cloud technologies cooperation with Google and a related $1B long‑term data‑center investment plan to 2032, underscoring Google Cloud’s international expansion. 5
Street context and sentiment
While headlines today skewed regulatory and legal, the medium‑term story investors watch remains AI monetization, cloud growth and capital intensity. Consensus on Alphabet stays constructive; aggregated 12‑month targets cluster around the low‑$300s. 6
Alphabet stock snapshot (intraday)
- GOOGL: $286.17, -1.76%; day range $283.70–$294.59
- GOOG: $286.76, -1.71%; day range $284.41–$294.94
- Time: 1:44 p.m. ET (18:44 UTC)
Figures update frequently during market hours.
What to watch next
- DMA enforcement cadence: whether Brussels formally opens the case and any interim measures targeting Search ranking. 2
- Waymo’s phased rollout: expansion beyond early‑access, freeway safety data, and any city‑level regulatory pushback. 1
- AI privacy posture: independent assessments and adoption of Private AI Compute across Pixel and Google apps over the holiday cycle. 4
- Energy strategy: additional PPAs or nuclear partnerships to meet AI compute demand at lower carbon intensity. 5
Editor’s note: This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Prices and market data referenced are intraday and may change.
