PREVIEW: Alphabet poised to beat analyst expectations on strong advertising revenue growth

Alphabet's GOOGL.O shares are down 0.72% to $336.39 due after markets close on Wednesday

Wall Street analysts expect GOOGL to report a roughly 16% rise in revenue to $94.52 billion amid strong growth in advertising income. Adj EPS is estimated to rise 22% to $2.63 versus $2.15

GOOGL's rev and adj EPS have met analysts expectations every time over the last 8 quarters

In November, Berkshire Hathaway BRKa.N unveiled a $5 billion stake in GOOGL, sending its shares to a record high, providing a rare endorsement for the company's artificial-intelligence moves

Among 61 analysts covering GOOGL, the average rating is "BUY" and median PT is $345.16

GOOGL is up 7.6% YTD versus NASDAQ Composite Index's .IXIC 0.8% decrease