Google stock surges on profit, revenue gains

Google's Larry Page. Image: Google

The company on Thursday (17 October) reported net income of US$2.97bn on revenue that rose to US$14.89bn in the quarter that ended in September.

Profits were up 36% from the same period a year ago and above expectations. Revenues also beat forecasts with a 12% jump year-on-year.

The Californian company's stock rose more than eight percent, hitting US$961.48 a share in after-hours trade.

"We are closing in on our goal of a beautiful, simple, and intuitive experience regardless of your device," Google chief Larry Page said.

Google's main money-maker, search advertising, remained strong while revenue from areas such as the online Play shop for apps, music, books and other digital content was on the rise, according to executives.

Google 'untouchable'

The company also said sales of hardware such as Chrome and Nexus devices were adding to its revenue stream along with services tailored for businesses.

"They pretty much are golden," independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of Google. "They are almost invulnerable."

"Google is so dominant in the booming online advertising market that it seems only governmental interference could derail its momentum," the analyst said.

"Yahoo can't hurt them; Facebook can't hurt them. Twitter can't hurt them," Enderle said. "Microsoft is trying."

The earnings report showed that while prices paid for advertising were dropping because of a shift to cheaper mobile ads, more people were "clicking" on marketing messages in moves that resulted in revenue for Google anyway.

"When you look across the company, it is amazing how all the teams are executing," Page said during an earnings call with analysts.

"Mobile ads are proving their worth by triggering actions such as phone calls to businesses or shopping visits to real-world stores," said Google chief business officer Nikesh Arora.

He said there was great progress with the company's enhanced campaigns for marketers to synchronise advertising across the various devices that people use to access the Internet.

Revenue at YouTube is also benefiting from a growing trend towards online video viewing and a desire by advertisers to reach audiences at the globally popular online venue.

Motorola still bleeding

Google reported that about eight percent of its revenue in the recently-ended quarter was from handset maker Motorola Mobile in a drop from what the Google-owned operation took in during the same period last year.

The unit recorded an operating loss of US$248m in the past quarter.

Motorola recently launched a well-received Moto X smartphone and is now boosting its marketing of the handsets.

The Android-powered phone is the first Motorola smartphone created in collaboration with Google since it completed the US$12.5bn purchase of Motorola Mobility last year.

Moto X smartphones are powered by Google's Android software and features include sophisticated voice controls and anticipating what users might want from the Internet at any given moment.

"We have made tremendous progress on voice recognition," Page said of the spoken command features woven into Google products and services.

"The accuracy has caught up quite a bit; it is superfast," he added.

Page, however, told analysts that they wouldn't be hearing his voice as often on quarterly earnings calls, as he would be letting Arora and chief financial officer Patrick Pichette handle most of those from now on.

"In future I won't be joining every earnings call," Page said.

"I know you would all love to have me, but you are also depending on me to ruthlessly prioritise my time for the good of the business," he said

Page said he remained devoted to investing in big innovations such as the self-driving car being refined in a Google lab devoted to disruptive new technology.

But Google won't be selling its own cars any time soon. "It is still a long ways from being a commercial product," Page said.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge