GOOGL vs WPP: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
GOOGL is the larger of the two ($4.36T market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (24.17x forward earnings, beta 1.25). WPP is the smaller challenger ($4.36B), cheaper on forward earnings (6.09x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
GOOGL vs WPP: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | GOOGL | WPP | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $4.36T | $4.36B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 24.17 | 6.09 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Beta | 1.25 | 0.68 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 76% of range | 43% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 7.00 | 6.48 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: WPP is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.
Before you buy: how GOOGL and WPP affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. GOOGL and WPP share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined GOOGL and WPP exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Alphabet (GOOGL) do?
Alphabet is the parent company of Google and is one of the most diversified technology businesses in the world. Search advertising (Google.com search results) remains the single largest revenue contributor and one of the highest-margin businesses ever built. YouTube is the second-largest advertising property online and the largest video platform globally. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is the third-largest hyperscale cloud after AWS and Azure and has finally turned operating profitable in 2024.
What does WPP plc (WPP) do?
WPP plc is one of the world's largest advertising, media and marketing services groups, providing creative, media buying, public relations, data and technology services to many of the biggest global brands. Historically structured as a holding company of famous agency networks (including Ogilvy, GroupM/WPP Media, and various creative and PR shops), it operates across North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC. US investors typically own it through the NYSE-listed ADR under the ticker WPP, while the primary listing trades in London as WPP.L.
GOOGL vs WPP: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- GOOGL drivers: Defending Search against AI disruption; Gemini and the model race.
- WPP drivers: Elevate28 restructuring; Cost savings and simplification.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Antitrust pressure remains intense (the US DOJ Search case ruling, plus EU and Indian regulatory actions). For WPP, wPP is in a genuine turnaround with a shrinking top line: FY2025 revenue fell and the group swung to a net loss, and Q1 2026 revenue declined again on a like-for-like basis.
GOOGL or WPP: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick GOOGL if you believe its drivers more; WPP if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the GOOGL and WPP guides.
GOOGL vs WPP: the full fundamentals
GOOGL. Alphabet trades at a meaningful discount to Microsoft and to the broader Mag 7 average, reflecting the market's worry about AI displacement risk to Search. If Google defends its core position, the multiple has room to expand.
WPP. As of JULY 2026, WPP trades at a heavily depressed valuation after the shares fell more than half over the prior year, reflecting shrinking revenue and a swing to a net loss in FY2025. The stock screens as deep value on scale (roughly ~$18 billion of revenue against a ~$3.5 billion market cap), but that discount reflects real declines, elevated leverage, and heavy execution risk on the Elevate28 turnaround.
Headline figures (approximate, early 2026): GOOGL shows revenue (ttm) ~$370 billion, operating margin ~32%, net income (ttm) ~$110 billion, eps (ttm) ~$9.00; WPP shows revenue (fy2025) ~$18B, headline pbit (fy2025) ~$1.8B, net result (fy2025) ~-$0.2B (loss), market cap ~$3.5B.
The bottom line: GOOGL vs WPP
GOOGL and WPP are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined GOOGL and WPP exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how GOOGL or WPP fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Alphabet with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how GOOGL fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between GOOGL and WPP?
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Alphabet is the parent company of Google and is one of the most diversified technology businesses in the world. WPP plc is one of the world's largest advertising, media and marketing services groups, providing creative, media buying, public relations, data and technology services to many of the biggest global brands. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is GOOGL or WPP the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. GOOGL is the larger incumbent; WPP is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, GOOGL or WPP?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), GOOGL trades at 24.17x and WPP at 6.09x, so WPP is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both GOOGL and WPP?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of GOOGL vs WPP?
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GOOGL: Antitrust pressure remains intense (the US DOJ Search case ruling, plus EU and Indian regulatory actions). AI is genuinely disruptive to the core Search business, and Google's defense playbook is unproven. WPP: WPP is in a genuine turnaround with a shrinking top line: FY2025 revenue fell and the group swung to a net loss, and Q1 2026 revenue declined again on a like-for-like basis. It faces intense competition from a resurgent Publicis and a newly enlarged Omnicom (post-IPG merger), plus structural pressure from AI, in-housing by clients, and the shift of ad budgets to Google, Meta and other platforms. Carrying adjusted net debt of roughly ~$2.9 billion (about GBP 2.17 billion) limits flexibility, and the 62 percent dividend cut signals the strain. If Elevate28 fails to stabilise revenue on schedule, the value case weakens materially.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell GOOGL or WPP; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.