Google Profit Surges 36 (%), Shares Up

(RTTNews) - Internet search engine Google Inc. (GOOG: News ), said Thursday its profit for the second quarter increased 36 percent over last year, as it continued to draw more advertising revenues. Both earnings and revenues for the quarter came in well ahead of the Street expectations. Following the news, Google share gained nearly 12 percent in after hours trading on the Nasdaq.

The Mountain View, California-based company posted net income of $2.51 billion or $7.68 per share in the second quarter of 2011, up from $1.84 billion or $5.71 per share in the prior year quarter.

Excluding certain one-time items, adjusted net income grew to $2.85 billion or $8.74 per share from $2.08 billion or $6.45 per share in the year-ago quarter. On average, 34 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $7.86 per share for the second quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Operating income was $2.88 billion, or 32 percent of revenues, compared to $2.37 billion, or 35 percent of revenues, in the second quarter of 2010.

On adjusted basis, operating income was $3.32 billion, or 37 percent of revenues, compared to $2.67 billion, or 39 percent of revenues, in the previous year quarter.

Second quarter revenues increased 32 percent to $9.03 billion from $6.82 billion in the same quarter of last year.

Excluding Traffic Acquisition Costs, the portion of revenues shared with Google's partners, revenues grew 36 percent to $6.92 billion from $5.09 billion a year earlier. Thirty analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $6.55 billion for the second quarter.

Total advertising revenues rose 33 percent to $8.72 billion, and other revenues grew 20 percent to $310 million from the prior year quarter.


Revenues from Google-owned sites were up by 39 percent to $6.23 billion, while Google's partner sites generated revenues, through AdSense programs, of $2.48 billion, representing a 20 percent increase from the second quarter of 2010.

Revenues from outside of the United States were $4.87 billion, representing 54 percent of total revenues in the quarter, compared to 52 percent in the year-ago quarter.

Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of AdSense partners, grew by 18 percent over the second quarter of 2010.

Average cost-per-click, which includes clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of AdSense partners, increased about 12 percent from last year.

As of June 30, 2011, Google had cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $39.1 billion.