Analysts from Wedbush, J.P. Morgan, and Bank of America predict that Google’s artificial intelligence advancements will enhance the company’s earnings for the second quarter, with Alphabet set to announce its earnings report on Tuesday.
Bank of America’s Justin Post and Nitin Bansal have raised their revenue forecasts for Google, citing the successful integration of Gemini into Google Cloud and AI features in Google Search as key drivers for increased sales. They expressed optimism about the ongoing integration of AI across Google’s platform, believing that the wider implementation of AI overviews will stimulate greater engagement in core Search operations, despite earlier challenges with the rollout that led to some humorous online backlash. The analysts have also lifted their price target for Google’s stock from $200 to $206.
In April, Google reported a striking 60% profit surge for the first quarter, aided by its AI initiatives, leading to a sharp increase in its stock price and pushing its market capitalization above $2 trillion, joining the ranks of Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia.
Following the introduction of new AI products within its Gemini AI suite, Google’s first-quarter success came in tandem with the announcements made during its developer conference, Google I/O. Among these was a futuristic AI assistant capable of interacting visually and verbally through smart glasses. Google claims its latest Gemini AI operates at a speed 20% faster than the latest version of ChatGPT.
While Wedbush analyst Dan Ives expressed caution regarding the immediate impact of AI Overviews, he acknowledged their potential as a long-term asset for monetizing Search. He also noted that AI is already enhancing Google Cloud performance, with expectations of a 27% increase in Cloud revenue year-over-year.
J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth shared a positive outlook on Google, classifying it as one of the firm’s top tech stock picks alongside Uber and Amazon, highlighting confidence in the advancements made in generative AI ahead of Alphabet’s earnings announcement.
However, Raymond James analyst Josh Beck cautioned that despite the favorable current narrative surrounding Google’s AI developments, it remains uncertain whether these initiatives will lead to sustained long-term sales growth.