Topic: Growth Stocks

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, October 14, 2011

Article Excerpt

GOOGLE INC., $591.68, Nasdaq symbol GOOG, continues to profit as advertisers shift from publications to online ads. In the three months ended September 30, 2011, Google’s revenue jumped 33.4%, to $9.7 billion from $7.3 billion a year earlier. If you deduct commissions that the company paid to its marketing partners, its revenue would have risen 37%, to $7.5 billion. That beat the consensus revenue estimate of $7.2 billion. Google charges advertisers every time a user clicks on one of their ads. In the latest quarter, paid clicks rose 28%, while the average cost advertisers pay per click rose 5%. The company continues to expand internationally: 55% of its revenue came from outside the U.S. in the latest quarter, compared to 52% a year earlier. Earnings rose 29.3%, to $3.2 billion, or $9.72 a share. The company earned $2.5 billion, or $7.64 a share, a year earlier. These figures exclude unusual items, mainly stock options paid to employees. On this basis,…