On a recent episode of the Intrinsic Value Podcast, host Sean O'Malley broke his long-standing rule of avoiding "Magnificent Seven" stocks to deep-dive into Alphabet, Google's parent company. Despite previously preferring less-tracked businesses, O'Malley was drawn to Alphabet due to its recent underperformance compared to peers and concerns surrounding AI disruptions and antitrust enforcement. He also admitted a better intuitive understanding of its operations compared to some other tech giants.
Alphabet, formed in 2015 with inspiration from Berkshire Hathaway, is a vast conglomerate. Its core Google subsidiary encompasses search, Android, Gmail, YouTube, Chrome, and hardware. Beyond this, Alphabet houses a diverse portfolio, including Calico (health research), Capital AG (private equity), Google Fiber, GV (venture capital), Isomorphic Labs (AI drug discovery), Verily (life sciences), Waymo (self-driving cars), Wing (drone delivery), and X (moonshot projects like Google Glass, Loon). This extensive reach positions Alphabet as a blend of Apple, Microsoft, Spotify, Tesla, Uber, Zoom, and TikTok, powered by data from billions of users.
O'Malley highlighted breathtaking statistics underscoring Alphabet's ubiquity: Google is the most visited website, controlling 92% of the search market with 9 billion daily searches. YouTube boasts over 2 billion active users, with more than 1 billion hours of content watched daily. Android dominates the mobile OS market with 3 billion monthly users. These services, often perceived as free, are monetized through sophisticated advertising on Search and YouTube, the AdSense network, business subscriptions for Google Workspace, promoted pins and data licensing for Google Maps and Earth, and paid storage for Google Photos. The host noted that AI, particularly Gemini, is being integrated to enhance these tools and user experience.
Tracing Google's history, O'Malley recounted its 1998 founding by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the innovation of PageRank, early investments, and its 2004 IPO. Key acquisitions like YouTube ($1.65B in 2006), DoubleClick ($3.1B in 2008), Waze ($966M in 2013), and DeepMind (2014) showcased its growth and strategic vision. In response to ChatGPT, Alphabet issued a "code red," betting on its own Gemini AI. O'Malley offered a nuanced view on AI's impact, suggesting it might not destroy search but rather create new, distinct use cases while potentially increasing computing costs.
Financially, advertising accounts for over two-thirds of Alphabet's revenue. Search views and ad click-through rates have steadily grown, indicating a healthy ad-supported business despite AI concerns. YouTube's engagement and subscription services (Music, TV) are also rapidly expanding. Google Cloud, though historically unprofitable, shows massive growth (40% annually) and is trending towards profitability. Alphabet manages significant traffic acquisition costs (TAC), such as payments to Apple for default search engine status and revenue sharing with YouTube creators. The company generates substantial free cash flow (nearly $70 billion in 2023) and uses a large portion ($62 billion in 2023) for aggressive share buybacks, effectively reducing share count and increasing shareholder ownership. With almost $100 billion in cash, Alphabet has a "fortress balance sheet."
Regarding regulatory threats, O'Malley acknowledged ongoing antitrust cases, particularly a recent ruling against Google for monopolistic practices in online search. However, he expressed skepticism about any major, lasting impact on the company, citing historical precedents like Microsoft's antitrust battle. He views multi-billion dollar fines as a "cost of doing business" rather than a fundamental threat to its operations, arguing that regulators rarely dismantle highly innovative, consumer-benefiting companies.
The podcast highlighted Alphabet's strong institutional ownership, with legendary investors like Li Lu, Bill Ackman, and Bill Nygren holding significant stakes, confirming its status as a high-quality business.
In his valuation, O'Malley stressed directional correctness over precise figures for a $2 trillion company. He broke down Alphabet's value by its main business units:
* **Search & Other:** $190B revenue, 30% margin, 20x multiple = ~$1.1 trillion.
* **YouTube Ads:** $35B revenue, 30% margin, 30x multiple = ~$300 billion.
* **Google Network (AdSense):** Lower growth, lower margin, 15x multiple = ~$90 billion.
* **Cloud:** $45B revenue, 25% margin, 35x multiple = ~$400 billion.
* **Subscriptions & Devices:** $39B revenue, 30% margin, 20x multiple = ~$230 billion.
Including Waymo's estimated $50 billion valuation and $60 billion in net cash, O'Malley arrived at an estimated intrinsic value of $2.2 trillion, or $185 per share.
While he doesn't see Alphabet as "hugely undervalued," O'Malley finds it attractively priced compared to other MAG7 stocks, given its quality and future potential. He plans to gradually accumulate shares for his intrinsic value portfolio, aiming for a 3-5% position, particularly when the price dips below $170, seeing market corrections as opportunities to invest in this transformative company.