Alphabet Class C (GOOG) has been on a powerful run, with the stock rising 5.78% over the past week, 7.57% in the last month, and a striking 73.71% over the past 12 months. Wall Street’s analysts are firmly bullish, with a StrongBuy consensus and a 12‑month average price target of $336.08, only modestly above the last closing price of $332.73. That signals expectations for continued gains, even after a strong year, and keeps Alphabet in focus for investors looking for tech names still favored by the Street.
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The standout recent call comes from analyst John Blackledge, who reiterated his Buy rating on Alphabet’s Class C shares and set a price target of $355.00 as of January 13, 2026. From current levels, his target implies further upside and reflects confidence that Alphabet can extend its leadership in digital advertising despite an increasingly competitive market. Blackledge’s view adds weight to the already bullish analyst consensus that has formed around the stock.
Blackledge’s latest report centers on a 2026 U.S. ad buyer survey and a preview of Alphabet’s fourth quarter of 2025. The survey results suggest that Google Search continues to offer the highest return on investment and the best measurement tools for advertisers, even as its share of digital ad spend is expected to slip only slightly from about 36% in 2025 to 35% in 2027 (excluding China). At the same time, YouTube is projected to edge its market share up from 15% in 2025 to 16% in 2027, maintaining its lead among fast‑growing digital video platforms.
The report also highlights how advertisers view Alphabet’s platforms in terms of performance. According to the survey, 43% of senior U.S. ad buyers now see Google Search as delivering the highest ROI on average—down from 50% last year and 54% two years ago, but still ahead of key rivals. Respondents praised Google Search for its strong contextual targeting, its ability to reach users at the moment they are ready to buy, and its tendency to “capture existing intent,” a key reason why clicks convert at higher rates than on more discovery‑based platforms. Moreover, 67% of respondents said Google Search offers the best measurement tools, compared with 59% for YouTube, 45% for Amazon, 37% for Facebook, and 22% for other platforms.
From a track‑record standpoint, Blackledge brings solid credentials to his bullish stance. He ranks 527th out of 11,984 analysts tracked, with a success rate of 57.11% and an average return of 13.40% per rating, according to TipRanks. In his latest note, he makes only minor adjustments to his estimates and uses a discounted cash flow approach to justify the $355 price target, arguing that Alphabet is best positioned for the coming wave of generative AI‑driven advertising and will retain its global digital ad leadership even if its share outside China dips slightly through 2030. Never miss a stock rating. Find all the latest ratings on TipRanks’ Top Wall Street Analysts page.