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Alphabet (Q4 Results): solid quarter, investment ramping up

Alphabet delivered solid growth in the fourth quarter, and investment spending is set to ramp up well ahead of forecasts.
Google sign infront of an Alphabet building - photo by Justin Sullivan from Getty Images.jpg

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Alphabet reported a 17% rise in fourth-quarter revenue, ignoring currency moves, to $113.8bn ($111.4bn expected).

The core advertising business, which includes Google Search and YouTube, saw revenue rise by 14% to $95.9bn. Google Cloud revenue increased by 48% (36% expected) to $17.7bn, with a cloud backlog of $240bn.

Operating income rose 16% to $35.9bn, missing expectations of $36.9bn due to a $2.1bn one-off charge related employee compensation at Waymo.

Free cash flow dipped slightly from $24.8bn to $24.5bn, as increased cash generation was more than offset by higher capital expenditure. Net cash, including leases, was $67.6bn at year-end.

Capital expenditure in 2026 is set to rise to between $175-185bn ($121bn expected).

The shares fell 2.0% in pre-market trading.

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HL view to follow.

Alphabet key facts

All ratios are sourced from LSEG Datastream, based on previous day’s closing values. Please remember yields are variable and not a reliable indicator of future income. Keep in mind key figures shouldn’t be looked at on their own – it’s important to understand the big picture.

This article is original Hargreaves Lansdown content, published by Hargreaves Lansdown. It was correct as at the date of publication, and our views may have changed since then. Unless otherwise stated estimates, including prospective yields, are a consensus of analyst forecasts provided by LSEG. These estimates are not a reliable indicator of future performance. Yields are variable and not guaranteed. Investments rise and fall in value so investors could make a loss.

This article is not advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any investment. No view is given on the present or future value or price of any investment, and investors should form their own view on any proposed investment.

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Written by
Aarin Chiekrie
Aarin Chiekrie
Equity Analyst

Aarin is a member of the Equity Research team and a CFA Charterholder. Alongside our other analysts, he provides regular research and analysis on individual companies and wider sectors. Having a keen interest in global economics, he knows how macro-events can impact individual companies.

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Article history
Published: 5th February 2026