Apple Inc.
AAPL
$175.49
−3.58 (2.00%)
Alphabet's Q2 Earnings: Cloud, AI Investments

Published by MEXEM EUROPE

December 5, 2024
(GMT+2)

Alphabet Inc. {{ m-tag option="price" ticker="GOOGL" currency="USD" }} Google's parent company, reported its second-quarter results, showcasing robust growth driven by its search, cloud businesses, and significant investments in AI technologies. The company's revenue rose 14% year-over-year to $84.74 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $84.19 billion. Earnings per share (EPS) were $1.89, exceeding estimates of $1.84.

‍
Key Financial Highlights

‍

  • Revenue Growth: Alphabet's total revenue reached $84.74 billion, up 14% from $74.6 billion in the same period last year.
  • Earnings: Net income increased to $23.6 billion, or $1.89 per share, compared to $18.4 billion, or $1.44 per share, in the previous year.
  • Advertising Revenue: The company reported $64.62 billion in ad revenue, an increase from $58.14 billion last year, although YouTube ad revenue of $8.66 billion missed the estimated $8.93 billion.
  • Cloud Business: Google Cloud revenue grew to $10.35 billion, exceeding expectations of $10.20 billion, with operating income hitting $1 billion for the first time.
‍
Significant Investments in AI Technologies

‍

Alphabet's commitment to AI development is evident from its substantial investments in the sector. The company reported spending $2.2 billion on AI models across its DeepMind and Google Research organizations in the second quarter, doubling the $1.1 billion spent in Q2 2023. These investments underscore Alphabet's strategy to bolster its AI capabilities, particularly in generative AI, to enhance its cloud services and advertising segments.

Despite missing YouTube ad revenue estimates, Alphabet's advertising business continued to grow, albeit slower, due to inflation and higher interest rates impacting marketing budgets in 2022 and 2023. YouTube's ad revenue increased from $7.66 billion in the previous year to $8.66 billion, though it faces stiff competition from platforms like TikTok.

‍
Future Outlook

‍

Alphabet's "Other Bets" segment, including its self-driving car company Waymo, generated $365 million, up from $285 million last year. The company announced a $5 billion multiyear investment in Waymo, highlighting its commitment to future growth in autonomous vehicle technology. Waymo expanded its services to all San Francisco users, achieving 50,000 weekly paid public rides, primarily in San Francisco and Phoenix.
‍

CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized the strength in Search and momentum in Cloud, stating, "We are innovating at every layer of the AI stack. Our longstanding infrastructure leadership and in-house research teams position us well as technology evolves and as we pursue the many opportunities ahead."

‍

‍

The information on mexem.com is for general informational purposes only. It should not be regarded as investment advice. Investing in stocks involves risk. A stock's past performance is not a reliable indicator of its future performance. Always consult a financial advisor or trusted sources before making any investment decisions.

‍

‍

WHAT TO READ NEXT

Ready to get started?

Start trading with the full package, from state of the art platform to free tool and favorable transaction fees.