European regulators on Wednesday ordered Google to pay 1.49 billion euros ($1.69 billion) for stifling competition in the online advertisement sector.
According to the EU competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, Google's business strategy had prevented its rivals from being able to “compete and innovate fairly” in the online ad market. She further added that with Google reinforcing its dominance in the online search advertising segment, the company shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites – which is illegal under EU antitrust rules.
This fine marks the third antitrust fine from Brussels to hit Google in recent times. Last July, EU regulators slapped Alphabet with a $5 billion fine for abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system, and did so again in 2017 ($2.7 billion) for favoring its shopping service over competitors.
According to the European Commission, between 2006 to 2016 Google emerged as the strongest player in online search advertising in the European Economic Area with a market share above 70%. The commission accused Google of letting its phone maker’s use the open-source Android software for free but ultimately it is in the benefit of the company. The reason being it forces the phone makers to bundle Google products like search, maps and chrome with its app in the Play store.
The company’s Q4 filings revealed that it registered a 20% growth in revenue in its core advertising business from the previous quarter to stand at $32.6 billion, with a similar growth rate achieved in the previous quarter.
On October 14, 2024, the Stochastic Oscillator for GOOG moved out of oversold territory and this could be a bullish sign for the stock. Traders may want to buy the stock or buy call options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 instances where the indicator left the oversold zone. In of the 48 cases the stock moved higher in the following days. This puts the odds of a move higher at over .
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 21, 2024. You may want to consider a long position or call options on GOOG as a result. In of 91 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
GOOG moved above its 50-day moving average on October 10, 2024 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for GOOG crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 01, 2024. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In of 16 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where GOOG advanced for three days, in of 364 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 317 cases where GOOG Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for GOOG turned negative on October 23, 2024. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 48 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where GOOG declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 90, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. GOOG’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (6.868) is normal, around the industry mean (11.001). P/E Ratio (26.982) is within average values for comparable stocks, (49.688). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.637) is also within normal values, averaging (3.441). Dividend Yield (0.000) settles around the average of (0.026) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (6.477) is also within normal values, averaging (19.424).
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
a holding company with interests in software, health care, transportation and other technologies
Industry InternetSoftwareServices