Google Inc. on Monday announced a surprise overhaul of its operating structure, creating a holding company called Alphabet to pool its many subsidiaries and separate the core web advertising business from newer ventures like driverless cars.

The move appeared to be an attempt by the search engine giant to focus on its more creative and ambitious projects, while investors cheered the potential for more financial disclosures of its disparate business segments.

"It suggests that in all likelihood, Google is not going to slow the pace of their experimental processes like self-driving cars," said Michael Yoshikami, head of Destination Wealth Management, which has $1.5 billion under management.