Alphabet owns Google and is publicly traded under the ticker GOOGL.
Alphabet was created in 2015 when Google reorganized its corporate structure. Google became a subsidiary, while Alphabet became the parent company for Google and several other businesses and projects. The restructuring separated Google’s core internet products from longer-term ventures.
Alphabet has two widely traded share classes: Class A shares trade under GOOGL and carry voting rights, while Class C shares trade under GOOG and generally have no voting rights. That dual listing is why the company can appear under two familiar ticker symbols.
Alphabet is regularly included among the world’s most valuable public companies because Google Search, YouTube, advertising, cloud computing, and related services generate substantial revenue. It is not the same legal entity as Google, although Google remains its largest and best-known subsidiary.