Google’s latest quarterly earnings soared above most analysts’ forecasts as the internet search company rebounded to its highest growth rate since before the 2008 financial crisis and shrugged off recent signs of economic weakness.
The third-quarter results, released late on Thursday, drove the company’s share price up by more than 6 per cent in after-hours trading, despite a extension of the hiring binge that has caused unease on Wall Street this year.
Google said it had added 2,585 employees in the latest three months – more than in earlier quarters this year – to take its total headcount to 31,353.
Google is showing results from heavy investments in areas beyond search, with notable inroads in the mobile, video and display markets, with chief executive Larry Page setting social networking as a top priority.
