John Kent Walker, who serves as President, Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer at Alphabet Inc., disposed of 46,975 shares of the company's Class C capital stock on February 17, 2026, generating approximately $14.3 million in proceeds. The transactions recorded a weighted average sale price range of $297.70 to $304.47 per share.
The share sales were carried out indirectly through the Arete Trust, where Walker and Diana Ruth Walsh are named as trustees. After this round of transactions the Arete Trust is reported to indirectly hold 13,227 shares. Separately, Walker retains a direct holding of 23,939 Class C shares.
At the time the sale was reported, Alphabet shares were trading at $302.85, representing a 65% gain over the past year and a 52% increase in the last six months. An InvestingPro assessment cited in the reporting indicates the stock appears overvalued relative to its Fair Value, while also noting Alphabet's price-to-earnings ratio sits at 28 - characterized in the analysis as low in relation to the company's near-term earnings growth potential. The InvestingPro platform also references additional proprietary materials, including 13 extra ProTips and a more detailed Pro Research Report within a library of more than 1,400 reports on major U.S. equities.
The insider sale is reported against a backdrop of operational and regulatory developments affecting different parts of Alphabet's business. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal that would have permitted commercial robotaxi operations outside New York City, a move that directly impacts Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle unit, which had been planning expansion beyond the city.
On the product front, Google - an Alphabet subsidiary - has rolled out Gemini 3.1 Pro, an upgraded artificial intelligence model. The company says the model features enhanced reasoning capabilities intended for more complex problem-solving tasks, and it reportedly achieves a verified score of 77.1% on the ARC-AGI-2 benchmark, an improvement over its predecessor.
Market research and analyst coverage cited in the report include Citizens maintaining a Market Outperform rating on Alphabet with a $385.00 price target. Citizens analyst Andrew Boone is quoted as emphasizing that AI is expanding the addressable market for search by improving the capacity to handle a broader range of queries and to infer commercial intent.
Additional items mentioned in the same report note that the Irish government is considering age restrictions on social media use for those under 16 as part of its AI strategy. Separately, Wedbush technology analyst Dan Ives is referenced as identifying potential catalysts that could reverse the ongoing decline in the technology sector, citing historical market patterns that have overturned earlier predictions.
Summary
Alphabet executive John Kent Walker sold 46,975 Class C shares on February 17, 2026, via the Arete Trust for about $14.3 million at weighted average prices between $297.70 and $304.47. The Arete Trust now indirectly holds 13,227 shares and Walker directly retains 23,939 shares. The sale occurs as Alphabet shares trade near $302.85 amid analyst commentary on valuation and several company developments including regulatory setbacks for Waymo and the launch of Gemini 3.1 Pro.
Key points
- Insider transaction: John Kent Walker sold 46,975 Class C shares for roughly $14.3 million on February 17, 2026, at weighted average prices of $297.70 to $304.47.
- Trust and holdings: The Arete Trust, with Walker and Diana Ruth Walsh as trustees, now indirectly holds 13,227 shares; Walker retains 23,939 shares directly.
- Broader context: Alphabet shares trade at $302.85, up 65% year-over-year and 52% over six months; InvestingPro flags the stock as appearing overvalued against Fair Value while noting a P/E of 28 relative to near-term earnings growth potential.
Risks and uncertainties
- Regulatory risk: The withdrawal of the proposal by New York's governor affects Waymo's planned expansion of commercial robotaxi services outside New York City, which introduces uncertainty for the autonomous vehicle segment.
- Valuation risk: InvestingPro's assessment that the stock appears overvalued relative to its Fair Value highlights potential downside if earnings or growth expectations are not met.
- Policy and social regulation: Potential Irish measures to restrict social media access for users under 16 as part of an AI strategy could affect regulatory exposure and compliance requirements for Alphabet's consumer-facing services.