Bank of America has labeled Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) as one of the best-positioned consumer AI companies despite concerns over AI disruption to its core ad business.
“We think fears of AI disruption to GOOGL’s core ad business are overblown,” Bank of America analysts wrote in a note, adding valuation of 11 times EV/EBITDA “provides an attractive entry point.”
Analysts have a $210 price target on the stock, which is about 21% above current levels.
The analysts cited four key reasons behind their positive stance: continued resilience in Google Search, strong performance of its Gemini AI model, new drivers emerging in its Cloud business, and the potential for margin expansion through cost efficiencies.
Google Search, the company’s biggest revenue engine, has so far weathered the rise of AI-native competitors such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. BofA highlighted the impact of AI features like Overviews — with 1.5 billion monthly active users — and AI Mode, which generates significantly longer queries.
“GOOGL’s broad ecosystem positions it well for sustainable revenue growth as Gemini unlocks new monetization surfaces,” the analysts noted.
YouTube was also flagged as an underappreciated asset, with revenues roughly 30% higher than Netflix but trading at a lower multiple.
Gemini, Alphabet’s proprietary large language model, processes over 480 trillion tokens per month — up 50-fold year-over-year — and is integrated across products from Search to Workspace. The model’s efficiency and multimodal capabilities further strengthen the company’s AI leadership, BofA said.
Google Cloud Platform is gaining ground, with BofA noting that its growth has consistently outpaced that of the broader Google Cloud unit. Tools such as Vertex AI and BigQuery, alongside tailwinds from public-sector demand, are expected to drive further expansion.
Alphabet’s operating margin reached a record 40% in the first quarter of 2025, supported by early 2023 job cuts and continued optimization. The company also holds $84 billion in net cash, giving it flexibility to maintain buybacks and invest in strategic initiatives.
Alphabet shares are down 8% so far in 2025, compared with a 4% gain in the Nasdaq Composite Index.