Alphabet Inc Shares

With excitement around AI building, Alphabet had largely missed out on the stellar gains seen by many of its tech peers

Google has been on its heels after OpenAI, a startup Microsoft is backing with around $10 billion, introduced software in November that has wowed consumers and become a fixation in Silicon Valley

The companies billed the moves as a way to make their stocks more accessible for retail investors and that has been achieved

The company on Wednesday announced a 20-for-1 stock split, its first since 1999, and a $10 billion share buyback

The new class of retail investors often weigh affordability and brand recognition when deciding which stocks to buy.

Alphabet shares were barely changed at $1,552, above their pre-pandemic high, after it said revenue fell 2% in the second quarter, less than analysts' estimate of a 4% decline

The company's share transition has also buoyed investor confidence in the stock