Dow Jones Industrial Average Celebrates 130th Anniversary with Potential Alphabet Inclusion
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 days ago
0mins
Source: Fool
- Dow Component Changes: The Dow Jones Industrial Average replaced ExxonMobil with Salesforce in 2020 and Walgreens with Amazon in 2024, reflecting a shift towards tech stocks that enhances the index's representation of the modern market.
- Underweighting of Communications Stocks: With only a 2% weighting in communications compared to 11% in the S&P 500, the potential addition of Alphabet could diversify the index and increase its market appeal, addressing a critical flaw in its composition.
- Alphabet's Market Position: With a market cap of $4.81 trillion, Alphabet is nearing the $5 trillion club, and despite a more than threefold increase in stock price over the past year, it remains a strong long-term investment due to its leadership across various sectors.
- Honeywell's Underperformance: Since joining the Dow in 2020, Honeywell has underperformed relative to the S&P 500 and the Dow, with plans to spin off its businesses in 2025 and 2026, potentially paving the way for Alphabet's inclusion and optimizing the index's composition.
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Analyst Views on GOOGL
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOGL stock price to fall
33 Analyst Rating
26 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 387.660
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
Current: 387.660
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
About GOOGL
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Succession Change: Warren Buffett stepped down as CEO at the end of 2025 after over 60 years, with long-time partner Greg Abel taking over, who has excelled in leading the company's energy operations and is expected to continue driving growth.
- Stock Trading Activity: The latest 13F filing revealed that Abel closed 16 stock positions, including Visa, Mastercard, UnitedHealth, Domino's Pizza, and Amazon, a move possibly linked to Buffett delegating investment responsibilities to two lieutenants, one of whom recently departed.
- Increased Google Holdings: Abel purchased 36.4 million shares of Alphabet in Q1, bringing Berkshire's total to over 54 million shares, which constitutes nearly 6% of its total stock portfolio, indicating strong confidence in the company.
- Share Buyback Plan: Abel authorized up to $325 million in share repurchases of Berkshire's own stock, a move that enhances shareholder value by reducing the number of shares outstanding, and he reportedly invested his entire $15 million after-tax salary into Berkshire stock, signaling confidence in the company's future.
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- Leadership Transition: Warren Buffett stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway after over 60 years, with Greg Abel taking over the reins at the end of 2025, ensuring continuity in the company's investment strategy while Buffett remains involved in providing advice, highlighting stability in governance.
- Portfolio Adjustments: The recent 13F filing revealed that Abel closed positions in 16 stocks, including Visa, Mastercard, and Amazon, indicating a significant shift in investment strategy, likely due to Buffett delegating investment responsibilities to Abel.
- Increased Google Holdings: In Q1, Abel significantly increased Berkshire's stake in Alphabet by acquiring 36.4 million shares, bringing total holdings to over 54 million shares, which constitutes nearly 6% of Berkshire's total portfolio, reflecting confidence in tech stocks and strategic positioning for future growth.
- Stock Buyback Initiative: Abel has authorized up to $325 million for stock repurchases, which is expected to enhance per-share value, and he is reportedly investing his entire after-tax salary of $15 million into Berkshire stock, signaling strong confidence in the company's future prospects.
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- Earnings Highlights: Nvidia reported $81.6 billion in quarterly revenue for Q1 FY2027, reflecting a 20% quarter-over-quarter and 85% year-over-year increase, showcasing its robust performance in the chip market and solidifying its industry leadership.
- Significant Dividend Increase: The board approved an $80 billion share repurchase authorization and raised the quarterly dividend from $0.01 to $0.25 per share, projecting an annual payout of $24.3 billion, which underscores its strong cash flow and commitment to shareholder returns.
- New Business Model: Nvidia anticipates generating $20 billion in revenue this year from its newly launched Vera Rubin central processing units, indicating its ability to expand in the AI sector and reduce reliance on one-time chip sales.
- Market Outlook: Despite risks of overestimating AI demand, Nvidia's P/E ratio stands at just 33.7, reflecting market confidence in its future growth, particularly driven by the ongoing AI spending cycle, which is expected to sustain strong profitability.
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- Strong Financial Performance: Nvidia reported $81.6 billion in quarterly revenue for Q1 FY2027, reflecting a 20% quarter-over-quarter and 85% year-over-year increase, showcasing robust cash flow growth that supports higher dividend payouts.
- Significant Dividend Increase: The board approved an $80 billion share buyback authorization and raised the quarterly dividend from $0.01 to $0.25 per share, marking a pivotal step in Nvidia's evolution into a mature tech giant.
- Expansion in AI Inference Market: Nvidia expects $20 billion in revenue this year from its new Vera Rubin central processing units, indicating its potential in the AI inference market and the development of new revenue streams.
- Strategic Investment and Risks: Despite a 2400% increase in dividends, Nvidia will pay about $6.08 billion quarterly in dividends, yet it maintains sufficient cash flow to support business expansion and shareholder returns, while facing risks of overestimating AI demand.
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- Portfolio Adjustments: In his first quarterly report, Abel adjusted the $330 billion equity portfolio by adding positions in Delta Airlines and Macy's, while tripling the stake in Alphabet, indicating his proactive approach to high-conviction stocks while maintaining Buffett's investment style.
- Small Position Sell-Off: In the first quarter, Abel and his team sold out of 16 smaller positions, including Visa and Mastercard, which accounted for about a third of Berkshire's total holdings, demonstrating decisive action in optimizing the investment portfolio.
- Core Holdings Retained: Despite the significant sell-off, Abel retained core holdings such as Apple, American Express, and Coca-Cola, reflecting his respect for and continuation of the company's traditional investment strategies established by Buffett.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the announcement of Abel's investment strategy, Berkshire Hathaway's stock ticked higher, reflecting market confidence in his management capabilities and further solidifying the company's position in the investment community.
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- Portfolio Restructuring: Greg Abel cut 16 small positions in the first quarter, including long-held Visa and Mastercard, demonstrating a strategic focus on concentrated high-conviction stocks while maintaining Buffett's traditional investment style.
- New Investment Directions: Abel added positions in Delta Airlines and Macy's, and tripled the investment in Alphabet, indicating a strategy aligned with Buffett's tech stock preferences, which may attract younger investors.
- Increased Concentration: Excluding investments in Japan, Berkshire now holds only 29 positions, retaining Buffett favorites like Apple, American Express, and Coca-Cola, reflecting ongoing confidence in classic quality assets.
- Positive Market Reaction: Despite the reduction of about one-third of the portfolio, Berkshire's stock price rose following the announcement, indicating market approval of Abel's investment strategy and suggesting optimistic expectations for future performance.
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