Google Q3-2010 Earnings Announcement Press Release

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – October 14, 2010 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2010.

"Google had an excellent quarter," said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. "Our core business grew very well, and our newer businesses -- particularly display and mobile -- continued to show significant momentum. Going forward, we remain committed to aggressive investment in both our people and our products as we pursue an innovation agenda."

Q3 Financial Summary

Google reported revenues of $7.29 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, an increase of 23% compared to the third quarter of 2009. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting traffic acquisition costs (TAC). In the third quarter of 2010, TAC totaled $1.81 billion, or 26% of advertising revenues.

Google reports operating income, operating margin, net income, and earnings per share (EPS) on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis. The non-GAAP measures, as well as free cash flow, an alternative non-GAAP measure of liquidity, are described below and are reconciled to the corresponding GAAP measures in the accompanying financial tables.

• GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2010 was $2.55 billion, or 35% of revenues. This compares to GAAP operating income of $2.07 billion, or 35% of revenues, in the third quarter of 2009. Non-GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2010 was $2.93 billion, or 40% of revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $2.39 billion, or 40% of revenues, in the third quarter of 2009.
• GAAP net income in the third quarter of 2010 was $2.17 billion, compared to $1.64 billion in the third quarter of 2009. Non-GAAP net income in the third quarter of 2010 was $2.46 billion, compared to $1.88 billion in the third quarter of 2009.
• GAAP EPS in the third quarter of 2010 was $6.72 on 322 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $5.13 in the third quarter of 2009 on 320 million diluted shares outstanding. Non-GAAP EPS in the third quarter of 2010 was $7.64, compared to $5.89 in the third quarter of 2009.
• Non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin exclude the expenses related to stock-based compensation (SBC). Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS exclude the expenses related to SBC and the related tax benefits. In the third quarter of 2010, the charge related to SBC was $380 million, compared to $318 million in the third quarter of 2009. The tax benefit related to SBC was $85 million in the third quarter of 2010 and $73 million in the third quarter of 2009.

Q3 Financial Highlights

Revenues – Google reported revenues of $7.29 billion in the third quarter of 2010, representing a 23% increase over third quarter 2009 revenues of $5.94 billion. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting TAC.

Google Sites Revenues - Google-owned sites generated revenues of $4.83 billion, or 67% of total revenues, in the third quarter of 2010. This represents a 22% increase over third quarter 2009 revenues of $3.96 billion.

Google Network Revenues - Google’s partner sites generated revenues, through AdSense programs, of $2.20 billion, or 30% of total revenues, in the third quarter of 2010. This represents a 22% increase from third quarter 2009 network revenues of $1.80 billion.

International Revenues - Revenues from outside of the United States totaled $3.77 billion, representing 52% of total revenues in the third quarter of 2010, compared to 52% in the second quarter of 2010 and 53% in the third quarter of 2009. Excluding gains related to our foreign exchange risk management program, had foreign exchange rates remained constant from the second quarter of 2010 through the third quarter of 2010, our revenues in the third quarter of 2010 would have been $9 million lower. Excluding gains related to our foreign exchange risk management program, had foreign exchange rates remained constant from the third quarter of 2009 through the third quarter of 2010, our revenues in the third quarter of 2010 would have been $169 million higher.

• Revenues from the United Kingdom totaled $840 million, representing 12% of revenues in the third quarter of 2010, compared to 13% in the third quarter of 2009.
• In the third quarter of 2010, we recognized a benefit of $89 million to revenues through our foreign exchange risk management program, compared to $39 million in the third quarter of 2009.

Paid Clicks – Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of our AdSense partners, increased approximately 16% over the third quarter of 2009 and increased approximately 4% over the second quarter of 2010.

Cost-Per-Click – Average cost-per-click, which includes clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of our AdSense partners, increased approximately 3% over the third quarter of 2009 and increased approximately 2% over the second quarter of 2010.

TAC - Traffic Acquisition Costs, the portion of revenues shared with Google’s partners, increased to $1.81 billion in the third quarter of 2010, compared to TAC of $1.56 billion in the third quarter of 2009. TAC as a percentage of advertising revenues was 26% in the third quarter of 2010, compared to 27% in the third quarter of 2009.

The majority of TAC is related to amounts ultimately paid to our AdSense partners, which totaled $1.52 billion in the third quarter of 2010. TAC also includes amounts ultimately paid to certain distribution partners and others who direct traffic to our website, which totaled $285 million in the third quarter of 2010.

Other Cost of Revenues - Other cost of revenues, which is comprised primarily of data center operational expenses, amortization of intangible assets, content acquisition costs as well as credit card processing charges, increased to $747 million, or 10% of revenues, in the third quarter of 2010, compared to $667 million, or 11% of revenues, in the third quarter of 2009.

Operating Expenses - Operating expenses, other than cost of revenues, were $2.19 billion in the third quarter of 2010, or 30% of revenues, compared to $1.64 billion in the third quarter of 2009, or 28% of revenues.

Stock-Based Compensation (SBC) – In the third quarter of 2010, the total charge related to SBC was $380 million, compared to $318 million in the third quarter of 2009.

We currently estimate SBC charges for grants to employees prior to October 1, 2010 to be approximately $1.4 billion for 2010. This estimate does not include expenses to be recognized related to employee stock awards that are granted after September 30, 2010 or non-employee stock awards that have been or may be granted.

Operating Income - GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2010 was $2.55 billion, or 35% of revenues. This compares to GAAP operating income of $2.07 billion, or 35% of revenues, in the third quarter of 2009. Non-GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2010 was $2.93 billion, or 40% of revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $2.39 billion, or 40% of revenues, in the third quarter of 2009.

Interest and Other Income (Expense), Net – Interest and other income (expense), net increased to an income of $167 million in the third quarter of 2010, compared to an expense of $7 million in the third quarter of 2009.

Income Taxes – Our effective tax rate was 20% for the third quarter of 2010.

Net Income – GAAP net income in the third quarter of 2010 was $2.17 billion, compared to $1.64 billion in the third quarter of 2009. Non-GAAP net income was $2.46 billion in the third quarter of 2010, compared to $1.88 billion in the third quarter of 2009. GAAP EPS in the third quarter of 2010 was $6.72 on 322 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $5.13 in the third quarter of 2009 on 320 million diluted shares outstanding. Non-GAAP EPS in the third quarter of 2010 was $7.64, compared to $5.89 in the third quarter of 2009.

Cash Flow and Capital Expenditures – Net cash provided by operating activities in the third quarter of 2010 totaled $2.89 billion, compared to $2.73 billion in the third quarter of 2009. In the third quarter of 2010, capital expenditures were $757 million, the majority of which was related to IT infrastructure investments, including data centers, servers, and networking equipment. Free cash flow, an alternative non-GAAP measure of liquidity, is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. In the third quarter of 2010, free cash flow was $2.13 billion.

We expect to continue to make significant capital expenditures.

A reconciliation of free cash flow to net cash provided by operating activities, the GAAP measure of liquidity, is included at the end of this release.

Cash – As of September 30, 2010, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $33.4 billion.

Headcount – On a worldwide basis, Google employed 23,331 full-time employees as of September 30, 2010, up from 21,805 full-time employees as of June 30, 2010. 

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

A live audio webcast of Google’s third quarter 2010 earnings release call will be available at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html. The call begins today at 1:30 PM (PT) / 4:30 PM (ET). This press release, the financial tables, as well as other supplemental information including the reconciliations of certain non-GAAP measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures, are also available on that site. 

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Key Statistics:

• After hours Price as I type = $590
• Shares Outstanding = 318.71M
• Market Cap at $590 = $188B
• Cash per share = $33.4 billion / 318.71M = $105

Disclosure:  Long Google in my personal account and  in the "Explore Portfolio" in  "Kirk Lindstrom's Investment Letter" at a $310 entry price.