Google’s latest profits have fallen short of expectations. The tech giant reported a Q4 profit of $4.76 billion, a year-on-year rise of 30%, yet this was significantly lower than Wall Street had predicted. Its revenue was up to $18, a rise of 15%. This fell slightly short of Apple’s profit during the same period. As with many US companies, Google was affected by the strength of the US dollar, with the company saying that its revenues would have been $541 higher if better foreign exchange rates had been at work.
Google’s cost-per-click fell by 3%, with experts seeing this as evidence Google was finding it tough to make money from mobile ads. Google’s investors are reportedly concerned that its mobile ad arm is falling short of its desktop equivalent – even in a climate where more and more web users are turning their back on desktops in favor or mobiles and tablets. The company’s shares dipped by almost 2% following the news but recovered quickly. Fellow tech giant Apple announced record-breaking profits a few days earlier. The company reported the biggest ever profit ever made by a public company.
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