Google stock's promising buy rating targets 21% upside

Alphabet’s Google stock remains under pressure, but a new Wall Street outlook is pointing to potential upside. Shares opened around $367, after losing more than 3% over the past month and trading well below the $400 level despite continued heavy investment in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. 24/7 Wall Street assigned a “buy” rating with a stated 90% confidence level, forecasting a move to $445, about 21% above current levels. The report comes amid growing investor concerns about Alphabet’s AI spending, including an estimated $185 billion commitment to expand AI infrastructure. Alphabet says it has built a backlog of roughly $462 billion that could translate into future revenue, though returns have not yet met some expectations. The company also faces legal pressure: a California judge denied a request for a new trial related to claims about platform design and addiction risks for younger users, and Google plans to appeal. UK lawmakers are also considering stricter social media access rules for under-16 users.