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Alphabet (GOOGL) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

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For the quarter ended March 2026, Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) reported revenue of $94.67 billion, up 23.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $5.11, compared to $2.81 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $92.22 billion, representing a surprise of +2.65%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +93.84%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $2.64.

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): $15.23 billion versus the nine-analyst average estimate of $15.39 billion.
  • Headcount (Number of employees): 194,668 versus 192,820 estimated by three analysts on average.
  • Revenues- United States: $53.98 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $51.88 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +22.8%.
  • Revenues- Other Americas (Canada and Latin America): $6.35 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $6.65 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +21.3%.
  • Revenues- APAC: $18.29 billion versus $19.01 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +23.1% change.
  • Revenues- EMEA: $31.47 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $32.51 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +21.4%.
  • Revenues- YouTube ads: $9.88 billion versus $10.03 billion estimated by seven analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +10.7% change.
  • Revenues- Google Cloud: $20.03 billion versus the seven-analyst average estimate of $18.4 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +63.4%.
  • Revenues- Google advertising: $77.25 billion versus $76.91 billion estimated by seven analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +15.5% change.
  • Revenues- Google Search & other: $60.4 billion versus the seven-analyst average estimate of $59.66 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +19.1%.
  • Revenues- Google Network: $6.97 billion versus $7.18 billion estimated by seven analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -3.9% change.
  • Revenues- Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices: $12.38 billion compared to the $12.12 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +19.3% year over year.

View all Key Company Metrics for Alphabet here>>>

Shares of Alphabet have returned +21.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +12.2% 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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