Google parent Alphabet hits $2tn valuation as it announces first dividend

Tech company's shares rise as it plans to reward investors after strong quarterly results

Google's parent company has hit a stock market value of $2tn (1.6tn) as investors reacted to a declaration of its first ever dividend alongside strong results on Thursday.

Shares in Alphabet rose 10% in early Wall Street trading on Friday to give the tech group a stock market capitalisation - a measure of a corporation's value - of more than $2tn. Alphabet last hit that level in intraday trading in 2021, but Friday was the first time it has closed above that benchmark.