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Alphabet (GOOGL) Q4 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare to Wall Street Estimates

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For the quarter ended December 2023, Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) reported revenue of $72.32 billion, up 14.6% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.64, compared to $1.05 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +2.19% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $70.77 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.60, the EPS surprise was +2.50%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Alphabet performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

  • Total TAC (traffic acquisition costs): $13.99 billion versus the 13-analyst average estimate of $13.95 billion.
  • Headcount (Number of employees): 182,502 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 182,484.
  • Revenues- EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa): $25.01 billion versus $24.76 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +14.9% change.
  • Revenues- United States: $42 billion compared to the $40.09 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +13.6% year over year.
  • Revenues- Other Americas (Canada and Latin America): $5.18 billion compared to the $5.16 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +11.2% year over year.
  • Revenues- APAC (Asia-Pacific): $13.98 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $13.82 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +16.7%.
  • Revenues- Google properties: $57.22 billion versus $57.02 billion estimated by 13 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +13.2% change.
  • Revenues- Google Cloud: $9.19 billion versus the 12-analyst average estimate of $9.04 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +25.7%.
  • Revenues- YouTube ads: $9.20 billion versus $9.10 billion estimated by 12 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +15.5% change.
  • Revenues- Google Search & other: $48.02 billion versus the 12-analyst average estimate of $47.84 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +12.7%.
  • Revenues- Google Network: $8.30 billion versus $8.52 billion estimated by 12 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.1% change.
  • Revenues- Google advertising: $65.52 billion versus $65.45 billion estimated by 12 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +11% change.
View all Key Company Metrics for Alphabet here>>>

Shares of Alphabet have returned +9.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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