ClearBridge Investments, a global equity manager, recently published second-quarter 2026 commentary for its “Large Cap Growth Strategy”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. Equity markets experienced a significant rally in the second quarter, fueled by robust earnings and increasing optimism regarding easing geopolitical tensions. The S&P 500 Index climbed 15.2% during this period, while the Russell 1000 Growth Index returned 16.7%, despite some volatility in sentiment towards AI. The reconstitution of Russell U.S. Indexes and the SpaceX IPO had a notable impact on large-cap growth benchmarks this quarter. The Strategy transitioned from a diversified to a non-diversified approach in the quarter, allowing for greater flexibility in portfolio management. Against this backdrop, the Strategy underperformed its benchmark, driven by stock selection and sector allocation. In addition, please check the Strategy’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Strategy highlighted Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG). Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), the parent company of Google, offers various platforms and services, including online search and advertising, cloud solutions, and artificial intelligence. On July 8, 2026, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) closed at $358.71 per share. One-month return of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) was 0.60%, and its shares gained 100.73% over the past 52 weeks. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has a market capitalization of $4.38 trillion.
ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
“The Russell rebalance substantially reduced the weighting of the Magnificent Seven in the Russell 1000 Growth Index (RLG), with Apple, Microsoft and Amazon shifting toward the Russell 1000 Value Index while Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) weight increased. Factoring in the net effect of these changes, the index saw a reduction in top-heavy concentration, which we view as a welcome change.
Effective in May 2026 following shareholder approval, the Strategy shifted its classification from diversified to non-diversified. This eliminates requirements that had previously capped holdings of 5% or more from accounting for greater than 25% of assets. While the Strategy’s investment objective hasn’t changed, by becoming non diversified we gain greater flexibility in how the portfolio is managed. Alphabet is another good example of the greater latitude we can apply to the portfolio, as we adjusted the position weighting from 3.5% at the end of March to 7.1% by the end of June in anticipation of the Russell rebalance.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) ranks 7th on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 201 hedge fund portfolios held Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 203 in the previous quarter. In 2025, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) achieved its first-ever $400 billion annual revenue and in Q1 2026 its consolidated revenue reached $109.9 billion, up 22% or 19% in constant currency. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
In another article, we covered Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and shared the list of top stocks to buy according to Whale Rock Capital Management. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will Make You Rich in 10 Years.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
