March 2023 Google (GOOG) Stock and White Owl Whiskey Pairing

Alphabet Inc. (GOOG)

March 2023

Authors: Mark Peters, Byron Harrell, Allan Maule

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Website: google.com

Twitter: @google

CEO: Sundar Pichai

Founders: Lawrence E. Page and Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin

Market Cap at Time of Article: $1.15T

Current Analyst Recommendations (49 analysts’ price targets median): $125, so at its current price of $90.10 this is a solid buy.

Revenue: $76 billion (Q4 2022), so up 1% year-over-year. Not inspiring in terms of growth, but solid for a very large company in this economic environment.

Insider Ownership: 0.02%. Not great. Still, being founder-led does increase our confidence. Largest individual stakeholders are the Founders and CEO.

What makes Alphabet (GOOG) worth your hard-earned money for the next decade or more?

Google is on sale! As the Federal Reserve continues to curb inflation, savvy investors can set themselves up to win in a number of ways. There are still growth stocks with fabulous upside available. Another strategy, however, is to buy well-established companies that are experiencing a downturn along with the rest of the market. FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) stocks are always attractive to us when the market is down. These Big Tech companies have proven track records of innovation and disruption, and will likely rebound quicker than other companies with smaller market caps.

Why talk about Google to all your friends and family?

Truth be told, this isn't a company that people don't know about. Google has long entered that famous noun-to-verb territory. If you aren't sure what that means, "just Google it." When search engines were initially fighting for market share, Google prioritized simplicity and accuracy—two things that the general public values greatly when technology stocks are involved.

It’s also worth remembering that Google is more than search: Chromebooks, Androids, Pixels, Cloud services, and YouTube are all part of the Google family of products. This breadth of product offerings will give the company staying power even as the search pillar of Alphabet’s business is facing more intense competition from the Microsoft-funded ChatGPT.

How is this company disruptive?

Google has been disruptive from the beginning. No company reaches the fame and notoriety that they have achieved without being disruptive. Their newest venture, Bard, is Google's AI answer to ChatGPT, the AI venture that saw Microsoft invest $10 billion into. Bard was just launched in the past few weeks, but was rather unsuccessful when it publicly offered incorrect information to a query. Not great, but we still have confidence in Google. Why? Because Google has the track record and resources to face this big challenge and get the solution right.

In the meantime you can buy more shares of this company that has become a household name in Big Tech. Artificial intelligence is the next big thing in technology, and Google is confident that they will lead: "Our long-term investments in deep computer science make us extremely well-positioned as AI reaches an inflection point, and I'm excited by the AI-driven leaps we're about to unveil in Search and beyond," said CEO Sunday Pichai.

Conclusion

Now is the time to buy one of the greatest, most innovative companies of the last 25 years at a 33% discount from this time last year. Google has a monopoly on search with more than 90% market share in many parts of the world. If they can get AI right, they will continue to dominate this space. Currently, Google is cheaper than the S&P. If you think Google will grow faster than the market (which we definitely do) then that makes Google an even more attractive buy. Since 2004, Alphabet has returned almost 4,000% to investors. They will right the ship sooner than later. Your best bet is to grab a piece now, and enjoy the ride up!

Whiskey pairing: White Owl

45% ABV

$34.95

I don’t know too much about Canada. I know they’ve got polar bears, maple syrup, and some of the country speaks French. After a work trip took me north to a local distillery, I now know they have a very unique presentation of whiskey—White Owl, which I can only assume also means they have pale owls up north.

The Nose, Palate, and Finish

I pulled in some creamy notes of vanilla and honey. There was no burn.

I liken the mouthfeel to a quality filet or ribeye. It’s like butter. Seemed to melt into my palate and I didn’t even have to swallow.

I always close my eyes for an image of the finish. I’m left thinking of a snowy forest of oaks laden with a light fragrance of licorice. Even the White Owl himself is looking on with approval.

The Conclusion

This whiskey uses a mash primarily based on wheat, as opposed to corn, barley, or rye. It’s made clear through a carbon filtration process. A swirl of the glass shows no hint of color complimenting any combination of spirits. I imagine this led to much of the smoothness I noticed in my tasting.

Although I take my whiskey neat, the clarity and the sweet taste of this dram should allow for some great cocktails.

Score

4/5