Alphabet (Google) $GOOG $GOOGL reported 1Q 2021 earnings yesterday. The results were significantly above both street estimates and guidance.

Alphabet $GOOG reported Q1 2021 EPS of $26.29, $10.41 better than the analyst estimate of $15.88. Revenue for the quarter came in at $55.31B versus the consensus estimate of $51.68B

$GOOG saw strong growth in YouTube, Cloud and accelerating search revenue. I believe this might be one of the best Covid recovery plays along with $FB.

Google Cloud and YouTube segment revenue growth stayed above 45% YoY.

$GOOG repurchased $7.9B worth of shares; repurchased ~$76bn worth of shares in the past 4 years; $GOOGL board authorized another $50B buyback.

Cloud: Revenue increased 46% YoY, and backlog increased to vs. ~$30B in 4Q vs. $19bn in 3Q.

Analyst Price Targets (PT) upgrades

PT Raised to $2,850 at Jefferies
PT Raised to $2,800 at Canaccord Genuity
PT Raised to $2,635 at Piper Sandler
PT Raised to $2,700 at Cowen
PT Raised to $2,575 at Morgan Stanley
PT Raised to $2,700 at Needham & Company
PT Raised to $2,750 at Raymond James