Alphabet Is Managing AI Capex Well And Seems Highly Underrated
π Alphabet is increasing AI infrastructure capital expenditure to secure long-term leadership in AI compute, even if it temporarily compresses free cash flow.
π° The company raised $85 billion through equity funding to avoid higher future debt costs and share AI project risk with shareholders.
β οΈ Alphabet is facing risks from losing ad market share and weakening YouTube return on ad spend (RoAS) due to regulatory headwinds.
π Despite these challenges, overall profit growth significantly exceeds the 15% seven-year earnings CAGR currently priced into the stock.
π The author argues that the stock appears highly undervalued given its strong performance relative to market expectations.
π Technical analysis suggests there is no reason not to follow the stock's strong upward trend.
π€ The article is written by an independent investor managing a family portfolio via a Self Managed Super Fund.
π The author uses a generalist approach focused on adding alpha value versus the S&P 500 with holding periods ranging from months to years.
π Research methodology includes maintaining spreadsheets for historical financials, guidance surprises, and valuation comparisons against peers.
π« The author rarely builds detailed DCF models or projects financials far into the future, preferring to assess delivery on five key drivers.
π The five key valuation drivers monitored are revenues, costs/margins, cash flow conversion, capex/investments, and interest rates.
π For high-multiple stocks, the author sometimes performs a reverse DCF to understand implied growth CAGR implications.
π€ The author discloses holding a beneficial long position in GOOGL shares through stock ownership or derivatives.
β οΈ Seeking Alpha's standard disclaimer notes that past performance does not guarantee future results and no specific investment advice is given.
- Alphabet is strategically ramping AI infrastructure capex to position for long-term leadership in AI compute.
- The company executed an equity-funded $85B capital raise to avoid higher future debt costs and share AI project risk with shareholders.
- Overall profit growth significantly exceeds the implied 15% 7-year earnings CAGR that the market is currently pricing in, suggesting undervaluation.
- The stock has demonstrated strong technical uptrend performance over the past year.
- Alphabet is losing some ad share.
- YouTube Return on Ad Spend (RoAS) is weakening.
- The company faces regulatory headwinds.