Yahoo Finance analysis indicates that Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) stock has risen 9.36% year-to-date and 42.62% over the past year, primarily driven by the strong performance of its AI business. Specifically, Google Cloud business grew 82% in the second quarter, and Gemini Enterprise has been deployed to nearly 90% of Fortune 100 companies. Analysts project Alphabet's 2026 EPS to jump from $14 (90 days ago) to $21, with cloud business backlog orders reaching $514 billion, providing a credible path for the stock price to hit $500 by 2027. The Wall Street consensus 12-month target price is $422.34, while internal models predict a base case of $504.76.