Skip to main content
Zensei
Trailing the market and communication services stocks

Alphabet (GOOGL) stock vs the S&P 500 and communication services stocks

As of 12 October 2026, Alphabet (GOOGL) is trailing both the S&P 500 and communication services stocks as a group (XLC) over the past three months.

Prices as of Last update : First tracked: trailing the market and communication services stocks
GOOGL 1M
+4.2%
S&P 500 1M
+2.1%
Funds that hold it
11
Weight in XLC
12.4%

Where Alphabet stands now

As of 12 October 2026, Alphabet had a good month against the S&P 500 after a weaker quarter. One month alone does not make a trend.

Inside its group, GOOGL is catching up: ahead of communication services stocks (XLC) over the past month, still behind over three months. As a group, communication services stocks are trailing the S&P 500 right now. Stock and group are both under pressure.

Alphabet is 12.4% of XLC, a weight large enough to drive the fund. It sits in 11 of the sector and theme funds Zensei tracks. The thing to watch is the past month: a turn against the market usually shows there first.

Alphabet peers in communication services stocks

The largest other holdings of Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC), by weight in the fund, with their plain return over the past month. They share the fund with the stock. They are not always direct business competitors.

Stock
Weight
1M
METAMeta Platforms
23.1%+14.7%
GOOGAlphabet Inc
10.0%+4.0%
DISWalt Disney
4.7%+1.8%
TAT&T
4.5%−12.6%
TTWOTake-Two Interactive Software Inc
4.5%−3.1%
TMUST-Mobile US Inc
4.4%−16.7%
APPAppLovin
4.3%−16.4%
VZVerizon
4.3%−14.1%
Each stock measured against the sector, with momentum and relative strengthUnlock with Premium

Is Alphabet in the S&P 500?

Yes

As of 12 October 2026, Alphabet is in the S&P 500. Its sector fund, Communication Services (XLC), holds it at 12.4% weight.

Every stock in one of the 11 S&P 500 sector funds is in the index. See Communication Services Stocks (XLC)

Alphabet ETF: the funds that hold GOOGL

11 funds that Zensei tracks hold GOOGL. The main sector is the fund Zensei groups it with. The other funds follow by weight.

Fund
Weight
XLCCommunication Services StocksMain sector
Communication Services Select Sector SPDR
12.4%
FDNInternet Stocks
First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund
5.7%
SOCLSocial Media Stocks
Global X Social Media ETF
5.4%
MMTMMomentum Stocks
SPDR S&P 1500 Momentum Tilt ETF
5.1%
MUSQMusic Stocks
MUSQ Global Music Industry ETF
4.8%
FMETMetaverse Stocks
Fidelity Metaverse ETF
4.4%
CARZEV Stocks
First Trust S-Network Future Vehicles & Technology ETF
4.3%
SKYYCloud Stocks
First Trust Cloud Computing ETF
3.4%
THNQAI Stocks
Robo Global Artificial Intelligence ETF
2.0%
CIBRCybersecurity Stocks
First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF
1.9%
BUZZSocial Sentiment Stocks
VanEck Social Sentiment ETF
1.7%

GOOGL stock performance: 1-month, 3-month and 1-year vs the S&P 500

Alphabet and the S&P 500 (SPY) side by side, over each window Zensei tracks.

Window
GOOGL
S&P 500
1 week+1.8%+0.4%
2 weeks+2.6%+0.9%
1 month+4.2%+2.1%
3 months+0.1%+4.1%
6 months+6.1%+12.6%
1 year+49.5%+20.4%

Prices as of · computed from daily adjusted closes · how we measure

Zensei Edge

GOOGL against communication services stocks, in depth

See the size of the gap between Alphabet and communication services stocks (XLC) over every window, its momentum and its relative strength, and where it sits among communication services stocks.

See the full analysis

Alphabet stock: common questions

Which stocks are Alphabet's peers?

As of 12 October 2026, the largest other holdings of Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) by weight are Meta Platforms (META), Alphabet Inc (GOOG), Walt Disney (DIS), AT&T (T), Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO). They share the fund with Alphabet. They are fund peers among communication services stocks, not always direct business competitors.

Which ETFs hold Alphabet?

As of 12 October 2026, 11 funds that Zensei tracks hold GOOGL. Zensei groups it with communication services stocks in Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC), where its weight is 12.4%. It is also in First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (FDN, 5.7%), Global X Social Media ETF (SOCL, 5.4%), SPDR S&P 1500 Momentum Tilt ETF (MMTM, 5.1%), MUSQ Global Music Industry ETF (MUSQ, 4.8%), Fidelity Metaverse ETF (FMET, 4.4%).

Is Alphabet in the S&P 500?

As of 12 October 2026, Alphabet is in the S&P 500. Its sector fund, Communication Services (XLC), holds it at 12.4% weight.

What sector is Alphabet in?

As of 12 October 2026, Zensei groups Alphabet with communication services stocks (XLC, its primary fund). This is also its S&P 500 sector fund. It is also in internet stocks (FDN), social media stocks (SOCL), music stocks (MUSQ) and metaverse stocks (FMET).

Is Alphabet stock beating the S&P 500?

As of 12 October 2026, Alphabet (GOOGL) is up 4.2% over the past month. The S&P 500 is up 2.1% over the same month. Over three months, the stock is up 0.1% and the S&P 500 is up 4.1%.

Is Alphabet doing better than other communication services stocks?

As of 12 October 2026, Alphabet (GOOGL) is behind communication services stocks as a group (XLC) over the past three months. Zensei Edge shows the size of the gap, its momentum and its relative strength.

Recent changes

  1. ·First tracked: trailing the market and communication services stocks

Track Alphabet against communication services stocks and the market

Zensei Edge maps 100+ sectors and themes against the S&P 500, with each stock inside them measured against its group.

Get started for freeSee all communication services stocks