Google reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings and revenue late Wednesday as overseas growth failed to meet analyst expectations. Per-share profit ex items rose 4.5% to $6.27, up from a revised $6 a year earlier. Analysts expected $6.39, according to Thomson Reuters. Google (GOOGL) on April 3 split its shares 2 for 1, so its year-earlier EPS has been halved. Google also retroactively removed the loss from Motorola
Wall Street expects Google (GOOGL) to post a 10% rise in earnings per share minus items, when it reports Q1 results after the close Wednesday, but that would be the search leader’s slowest Q1 earnings growth in at least five years. EPS ex items are expected to be $6.39, vs. $5.79 in the year-earlier period, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Its year-over-year the previous four years had been 15%, 25%, 20% and, in 2010, 31%. Because
Google’s Android mobile app store, Google Play, is beating Apple’s iOS App Store in download activity, but Apple (AAPL) is still trouncing Google (GOOGL) in worldwide app revenue, a new report shows. App analytics firm App Annie said Tuesday that Google Play saw 45% more downloads than Apple’s App Store in the first quarter. That figure falls in line with a broader trend: Google Play app downloads were 35% higher than Apple’s App Store in Q4 2013, 25% higher in Q3 and 10% higher in Q2. Apple, however, remains “comfortably ahead” in global app sales, generating 85% more revenue than Google Play, App Annie said in their report. Google’s app store activity is being driven by growth in downloads in emerging markets such as Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey, the firm says. Apple’s App Store saw big growth in China in Q1, with revenue up 70% from Q4. China’s top…