Repository

[madrose1]

Google falls as two analysts disagree in new notes
Google (GOOG) is retreating after two research firms expressed different views about the company's outlook in notes to clients earlier today.
BULLISH TAKE: Google will benefit financially from its new Enhanced Campaigns program, Credit Suisse believes. Enhanced Campaigns enables marketers to manage campaigns across different devices and deliver their ads to the right device at the right time, according to Google. The program is likely to cause marketers' search ad budgets to increase one percentage point in 2013 and three percentage points in 2014, Credit Suisse estimated. Enhanced Campaigns will cause more consumers to surf on the mobile Internet, rather than use apps, the note contended. That change will increase the amount of ad dollars that Google can earn, predicted the firm, which increased its price target on Google to $982 from $847 and reiterated an Outperform rating on the stock.

BEARISH TAKE: Conversely, Stifel analyst Jordan Rohan slightly lowered his estimates for Google and predicted that it would report weaker than expected first quarter results. Search engine marketing firm IgnitionOne believes that spending on Google's search engine dropped 1% in the first quarter of the year, versus the same period in 2012, Rohan reported. Google's stock may be volatile as the Street debates how the company's first quarter earnings will look, added the analyst, who maintained a Hold rating on the shares. TODAY'S PRICE ACTION: In mid-afternoon