Alphabet is the parent company of Google and has the stock symbols GOOG and GOOGL.
Alphabet created two widely followed share classes for public investors. GOOG represents Class C shares, which generally carry no voting rights, while GOOGL represents Class A shares, which generally carry one vote per share.
The company was formed in 2015 when Google reorganized its businesses under a new holding-company structure. Google operates the group’s best-known services, including Search, YouTube, Android, and Google Cloud, while Alphabet also oversees other ventures and investments.
The two tickers can have slightly different prices because investors value their voting rights differently. Alphabet’s founders and insiders also hold Class B shares with greater voting power, giving them substantial control even though those shares do not trade publicly.