Google wins key partner

Article Excerpt

ALPHABET INC. (Nasdaq symbols GOOG $1,170 [class C: non-voting] and GOOGL $1,184 [class A: one vote per share]; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 694.8 million; Market cap: $819.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 7.0; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.abc.xyz) announced that its Google Internet search business has now formed a strategic alliance with Chinese online retailer JD.com Inc. (Nasdaq symbol JD). That website has over 301.8 million active users. Under the terms of the deal, Google will purchase $550 million worth of JD.com’s class A ordinary shares. That equals about 1% of JD.com’s $59.5 billion market cap. Google’s Internet search expertise will make it easier for JD.com’s shoppers to find the products they’re looking for. The retailer can also use Google’s technology to target potential customers with personalized offers. In addition, JD.com will offer some of its products on the Google Shopping platform, which lets users compare prices on several e-commerce websites. Alphabet’s class C shares have gained 8% since the start of 2018. They…