Replies to post #352424 on Zeev's Turnips Patch-No Politics (ZEEV)

[marketmaven]

Bambi Blows GOOG- High limbo stick, low consensus

Unlock date to follow Google results
By Bambi Francisco, MarketWatch
Last Update: 1:58 PM ET Feb. 1, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Google, the No. 1 search engine, is set to announce fourth-quarter results after the close of the U.S. markets Tuesday, less than two weeks before company insiders can sell more than 100 million additional shares.

Wall Street analysts expect Google (GOOG: news, chart, profile) to earn 77 cents a share on revenue of $590 million, based on the average estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. Some on the bullish side are looking for the Mountain View, Calif.-based firm to earn as much as 84 cents and post sales as high as $626 million.

With eBay's (EBAY: news, chart, profile) post-earnings stock plunge still fresh in their minds, Internet investors who've watched Google's share price more than double since the company's IPO in August will be listening for whether the company can sustain its growth story.

For all of 2005, analysts expect Google to earn $3.42 per share, up 33 percent from 2004, and generate sales of $2.89 billion, a 52 percent rise.

Others may have their eye on the calendar, knowing that another 177 million additional Google shares owned by insiders will be eligible for sale Feb. 14.



For that reason, the company likely will have to report results or give a forecast that tops previous expectations to get investors excited about buying into a burgeoning supply of shares.

Current first-quarter estimates call for Google to earn 80 cents in the first quarter on revenue of $645 million, up 69 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Even though Google is in the current sweet spot of the online advertising business -- with 48 percent market share of all searches conducted in the U.S. -- rivals like Yahoo (YHOO: news, chart, profile) and Microsoft (MSFT: news, chart, profile) are rolling out new products. Some of those include tools for searching Web-based video and TV, as well as PC desktop files.

Google shares fell $2.52 to $193.10 in Tuesday afternoon trading. They debuted in August at $85 a share.

[Softechie]

GOOG I'm here with 50 SS position. Buy rumors and sell on news...