The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering granting Google (GOOG, Financial) "strategic market status" in the areas of general search and search advertising. This proposal is currently under consultation, with a final decision expected by October 13. If approved, the CMA would gain the authority to implement specific measures to influence Google's operations in these sectors within the UK.
Among the prospective actions outlined by the CMA are the introduction of choice screens to enable users to select different search providers, establishing fair ranking practices for businesses appearing in search results, enhancing transparency for publishers, and ensuring consumer search data portability to foster new product and service innovations.
Google presently dominates the UK's general search market, holding more than 90% of search queries, as noted by the CMA. These initiatives aim to expand options and empower both UK businesses and consumers when engaging with Google's search services, potentially spurring greater innovation across the tech industry in the UK.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast
Based on the one-year price targets offered by 18 analysts, the average target price for Alphabet Inc (GOOG, Financial) is $201.56 with a high estimate of $225.00 and a low estimate of $185.00. The average target implies an upside of 21.41% from the current price of $166.01. More detailed estimate data can be found on the Alphabet Inc (GOOG) Forecast page.
Based on the consensus recommendation from 21 brokerage firms, Alphabet Inc's (GOOG, Financial) average brokerage recommendation is currently 1.6, indicating "Outperform" status. The rating scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 signifies Strong Buy, and 5 denotes Sell.
Based on GuruFocus estimates, the estimated GF Value for Alphabet Inc (GOOG, Financial) in one year is $198.49, suggesting a upside of 19.57% from the current price of $166.01. GF Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. It is calculated based on the historical multiples the stock has traded at previously, as well as past business growth and the future estimates of the business' performance. More detailed data can be found on the Alphabet Inc (GOOG) Summary page.
