Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock Sees Volatility on Tariff Concerns and Antitrust Ruling

NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2025 - Shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) experienced a sharp reversal in sentiment Tuesday, first dipping in the afternoon session before rallying strongly in after-hours trading.

In midday trading, GOOGL shares fell 2.1% amid a broader technology sector pullback triggered by renewed uncertainty over U.S. trade tariffs. An appeals court’s declaration that the recent reciprocal tariffs were unlawful heightened investors’ concerns about potential impacts on global supply chains, weighing on major tech names including NVIDIA and Microsoft.

The afternoon decline followed a robust five-month rally that had propelled Alphabet deep into overbought territory, with its Relative Strength Index approaching levels that often precede corrections.

Momentum shifted dramatically after the market close when U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google will not be required to divest its Chrome browser or Android operating system as part of remedies in the Justice Department’s landmark antitrust case. While the decision mandates that Google share certain search data with rivals and bar exclusive search contracts, it spares the company from the most severe sanctions sought by regulators.

GOOGL shares surged more than 5% in after-hours trading following the ruling, rebounding from the session’s earlier losses and setting the stage for a gap higher at the opening bell Wednesday. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) also saw its shares climb, benefiting from the continued arrangement that makes Google the default search engine on iOS devices.