Alphabet owns the Google search engine and is a major constituent of the Nasdaq-100.
Alphabet was created in 2015 as the parent company of Google and several other businesses. The restructuring placed Google’s internet products, including Search, YouTube and Android, inside the new corporate holding company while allowing newer ventures to operate more independently.
Alphabet became one of the world’s most valuable companies because its advertising businesses generate substantial revenue at global scale. Google Search remains central, while YouTube advertising, cloud computing and subscription products provide additional businesses. Alphabet’s shares trade publicly under the symbols GOOGL and GOOG.
A common mix-up is calling the listed parent company “Google.” Google is the best-known operating company within Alphabet; Alphabet is the corporate entity whose market capitalization is used in public-company rankings.