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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
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As of October 22, 2024, there we
r
e
5,843
million shares of Alphabet’s Class A stock outstanding,
864
million shares of Alphabet's Class B stock outstanding, and
5,534
million shares of Alphabet's Class C stock outstanding.
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, among other things, statements regarding:
•
the growth of our business and revenues and our expectations about the factors that influence our success and trends in our business;
•
fluctuations in our revenues and margins and various factors contributing to such fluctuations;
•
our expectation that the continuing shift from an offline to online world will continue to benefit our business;
•
our expectation that the portion of our revenues that we derive beyond advertising will continue to increase and may affect our margins;
•
our expectation that our traffic acquisition costs (TAC) and the associated TAC rate will fluctuate, which could affect our overall margins;
•
our expectation that our monetization trends will fluctuate, which could affect our revenues and margins;
•
fluctuations in paid clicks and cost-per-click as well as impressions and cost-per-impression, and various factors contributing to such fluctuations;
•
our expectation that we will continue to periodically review, refine, and update our methodologies for monitoring, gathering, and counting the number of paid clicks and impressions;
•
our expectation that our results will be affected by our performance in international markets as users in developing economies increasingly come online;
•
our expectation that our foreign exchange risk management program will not fully offset our net exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
•
the expected variability of gains and losses related to hedging activities under our foreign exchange risk management program;
•
the amount and timing of revenue recognition from customer contracts with commitments for performance obligations, including our estimate of the remaining amount of commitments and when we expect to recognize revenue;
•
our expectation that our capital expenditures will increase, including the expected increase in our technical infrastructure investment to support the growth of our business and our long-term initiatives, in particular in support of artificial intelligence (AI) products and services;
•
our plans to continue to invest in new businesses, products, services and technologies, and systems, as well as to continue to invest in acquisitions and strategic investments;
•
our pace of hiring and our plans to provide competitive compensation programs;
•
our expectation that our cost of revenues, research and development (R&D) expenses, sales and marketing expenses, and general and administrative expenses may increase in amount and/or may increase as a percentage of revenues and may be affected by a number of factors;
•
estimates of our future compensation expenses;
•
our expectation that our other income (expense), net (OI&E), will fluctuate in the future, as it is largely driven by market dynamics;
•
our expectation that our effective tax rate and cash tax payments could increase in future years;
•
seasonal fluctuations in internet usage and advertiser expenditures, underlying business trends such as traditional retail seasonality, which are likely to cause fluctuations in our quarterly results;
•
the sufficiency of our sources of funding;
•
our potential exposure in connection with new and pending investigations, proceedings, and other contingencies, including the possibility that certain legal proceedings to which we are a party could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results;
•
our expectation that we will continue to face heightened regulatory scrutiny, and changes in regulatory conditions, laws, and public policies, which could affect our business practices and financial results;
•
the expected timing, amount, and effect of Alphabet Inc.'s share repurchases and dividends;
•
our long-term sustainability and diversity goals;
as well as other statements regarding our future operations, financial condition and prospects, and business strategies. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this report and other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including without limitation, the following sections: Part I, Item 2, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as updated in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, including in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; the risks discussed in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as updated in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, including in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; the trends discussed in Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023; and those discussed in other documents we file with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
As used herein, "Alphabet," "the company," "we," "us," "our," and similar terms include Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
"Alphabet," "Google," and other trademarks of ours appearing in this report are our property. We do not intend our use or display of other companies' trade names or trademarks to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of us by such companies, or any relationship with any of these companies.
Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities
110,916
93,230
Accounts receivable, net
47,964
49,104
Other current assets
12,650
15,207
Total current assets
171,530
157,541
Non-marketable securities
31,008
36,177
Deferred income taxes
12,169
15,915
Property and equipment, net
134,345
161,270
Operating lease assets
14,091
13,561
Goodwill
29,198
31,935
Other non-current assets
10,051
13,867
Total assets
$
402,392
$
430,266
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$
7,493
$
7,049
Accrued compensation and benefits
15,140
12,908
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
46,168
46,585
Accrued revenue share
8,876
9,365
Deferred revenue
4,137
4,896
Total current liabilities
81,814
80,803
Long-term debt
13,253
12,297
Deferred revenue, non-current
911
1,015
Income taxes payable, non-current
8,474
8,219
Deferred income taxes
485
706
Operating lease liabilities
12,460
11,654
Other long-term liabilities
1,616
1,453
Total liabilities
119,013
116,147
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 9)
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $
0.001
par value per share,
100
shares authorized;
no
shares issued and outstanding
0
0
Class A, Class B, and Class C stock and additional paid-in capital, $
0.001
par value per share:
300,000
shares authorized (Class A
180,000
, Class B
60,000
, Class C
60,000
);
12,460
(Class A
5,899
, Class B
870
, Class C
5,691
) a
nd
12,264
(Class A
5,844
, Class B
865
, Class C
5,555
) shares issued and outstanding
Note 1.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Nature of Operations
Google was incorporated in California in September 1998 and re-incorporated in the State of Delaware in August 2003. In 2015, we implemented a holding company reorganization, and as a result, Alphabet Inc. ("Alphabet") became the successor issuer to Google.
We generate revenues by delivering relevant, cost-effective online advertising; cloud-based solutions that provide enterprise customers with infrastructure and platform services as well as communication and collaboration tools; sales of other products and services, such as fees received for subscription-based products, apps and in-app purchases, and devices.
Basis of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements of Alphabet include the accounts of Alphabet and entities consolidated under the variable interest and voting models. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
Unaudited Interim Financial Information
These unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), and in our opinion, include all adjustments of a normal recurring nature necessary for fair financial statement presentation. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2024. We have made estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
These consolidated financial statements and other information presented in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-07 "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures" which expands annual and interim disclosure requirements for reportable segments, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. ASU 2023-07 is effective for our annual periods beginning January 1, 2024, and for interim periods beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential effect that the updated standard will have on our financial statement disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09 "Income Taxes (Topics 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures" to expand the disclosure requirements for income taxes. Upon adoption we will be required to disclose standardized categories in the rate reconciliation in both percentage and dollar amounts. ASU 2023-09 will also require income taxes paid to be disaggregated by jurisdiction, among other disclosure requirements. We will adopt ASU 2023-09 for our annual periods beginning January 1, 2025.
Prior Period Reclassifications
Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform with current period presentation.
The following table presents revenues disaggregated by type (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Google Search & other
$
44,026
$
49,385
$
127,013
$
144,050
YouTube ads
7,952
8,921
22,310
25,674
Google Network
7,669
7,548
23,015
22,405
Google advertising
59,647
65,854
172,338
192,129
Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices
8,339
10,656
23,894
28,707
Google Services total
67,986
76,510
196,232
220,836
Google Cloud
8,411
11,353
23,896
31,274
Other Bets
297
388
870
1,248
Hedging gains (losses)
(
1
)
17
86
191
Total revenues
$
76,693
$
88,268
$
221,084
$
253,549
The following table presents revenues disaggregated by geography, based on the addresses of our customers (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
United States
$
36,354
47
%
$
43,139
49
%
$
104,291
47
%
$
123,072
49
%
EMEA
(1)
22,661
30
25,472
29
66,028
30
73,943
29
APAC
(1)
13,126
17
14,547
16
37,535
17
41,659
16
Other Americas
(1)
4,553
6
5,093
6
13,144
6
14,684
6
Hedging gains (losses)
(
1
)
0
17
0
86
0
191
0
Total revenues
$
76,693
100
%
$
88,268
100
%
$
221,084
100
%
$
253,549
100
%
(1)
Regions represent Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); Asia-Pacific (APAC); and Canada and Latin America ("Other Americas").
Revenue Backlog
As of September 30, 2024, we had $
86.8
billion of remaining performance obligations (“revenue backlog”), primarily related to Google Cloud. Our revenue backlog represents commitments in customer contracts for future services that have not yet been recognized as revenue. The estimated revenue backlog and timing of revenue recognition for these commitments is largely driven by our ability to deliver in accordance with relevant contract terms and when our customers utilize services. We expect to recognize approximately half of the revenue backlog as revenues over the next
24
months with the remainder to be recognized thereafter. Revenue backlog includes related deferred revenue currently recorded as well as amounts that will be invoiced in future periods, and excludes contracts with an original expected term of one year or less and cancellable contracts.
Deferred Revenues
We record deferred revenues when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance, including amounts which are refundable. Deferred revenues primarily relate to Google Cloud and Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices.
Total deferred revenue as of December 31, 2023 was $
5.0
billion, of which $
3.4
billion was recognized as revenues during the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Note 3.
Financial Instruments
Fair Value Measurements
Investments Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable equity securities are measured at fair value and classified within Level 1 and Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy, because we use quoted prices for identical assets in active markets
or inputs that are based upon quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets.
Debt securities are measured at fair value and classified within Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy, because we use quoted market prices to the extent available or alternative pricing sources and models utilizing market observable inputs to determine fair value. For certain marketable debt securities, we have elected the fair value option for which changes in fair value are recorded in OI&E. The fair value option was elected for these securities to align with the unrealized gains and losses from related derivative contracts.
The following tables summarize our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in millions):
As of December 31, 2023
Fair Value Hierarchy
Adjusted Cost
Gross Unrealized Gains
Gross Unrealized Losses
Fair Value
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Marketable Securities
Fair value changes recorded in other comprehensive income
Time deposits
Level 2
$
2,628
$
0
$
0
$
2,628
$
2,628
$
0
Government bonds
Level 2
38,106
233
(
679
)
37,660
1,993
35,667
Corporate debt securities
Level 2
22,457
112
(
637
)
21,932
0
21,932
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities
Level 2
17,243
88
(
634
)
16,697
0
16,697
Total investments with fair value change reflected in other comprehensive income
(1)
80,434
433
(
1,950
)
78,917
4,621
74,296
Fair value adjustments recorded in net income
Money market funds
Level 1
6,480
6,480
0
Current marketable equity securities
(2)
Level 1
4,282
0
4,282
Mutual funds
Level 2
311
0
311
Government bonds
Level 2
1,952
347
1,605
Corporate debt securities
Level 2
3,782
91
3,691
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities
Level 2
2,683
0
2,683
Total investments with fair value change recorded in net income
19,490
6,918
12,572
Cash
0
12,509
0
Total
$
80,434
$
433
$
(
1,950
)
$
98,407
$
24,048
$
86,868
(1)
Represents gross unrealized gains and losses for debt securities recorded to accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI).
(2)
The long-term portion of marketable equity securities (subject to long-term lock-up restrictions) of $
1.4
billion as of December 31, 2023 is included within other non-current assets.
Fair value changes recorded in other comprehensive income
Time deposits
Level 2
$
3,234
$
0
$
0
$
3,234
$
3,090
$
144
Government bonds
Level 2
27,222
458
(
93
)
27,587
0
27,587
Corporate debt securities
Level 2
18,150
234
(
208
)
18,176
0
18,176
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities
Level 2
14,633
188
(
233
)
14,588
0
14,588
Total investments with fair value change reflected in other comprehensive income
(1)
63,239
880
(
534
)
63,585
3,090
60,495
Fair value adjustments recorded in net income
Money market funds
Level 1
5,932
5,932
0
Current marketable equity securities
(2)
Level 1
4,933
0
4,933
Mutual funds
Level 2
291
0
291
Government bonds
Level 2
1,459
128
1,331
Corporate debt securities
Level 2
3,094
59
3,035
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities
Level 2
3,186
0
3,186
Total investments with fair value change recorded in net income
18,895
6,119
12,776
Cash
0
10,750
0
Total
$
63,239
$
880
$
(
534
)
$
82,480
$
19,959
$
73,271
(1)
Represents gross unrealized gains and losses for debt securities recorded to AOCI.
(2)
The long-term portion of marketable equity securities (subject to long-term lock-up restrictions) of $
253
million as of September 30, 2024 is included within other non-current assets.
Investments Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
Our non-marketable equity securities are investments in privately held companies without readily determinable market values. The carrying value of our non-marketable equity securities is adjusted to fair value upon observable transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer or impairment. Non-marketable equity securities that have been remeasured during the period based on observable transactions are classified within Level 2 or Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Non-marketable equity securities that have been remeasured due to impairment are classified within Level 3. Our valuation methods include option pricing models, market comparable approach, and common stock equivalent method, which may include a combination of the observable transaction price at the transaction date and other unobservable inputs including volatility, expected time to exit, risk free rate, and the rights, and obligations of the securities we hold. These inputs significantly vary based on investment type.
As of September 30, 2024, the carrying value of our non-marketable equity securities was $
33.7
billion, of which $
13.7
billion were remeasured at fair value during the three months ended September 30, 2024 and were primarily classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy at the time of measurement.
The following table summarizes the estimated fair value of investments in available-for-sale marketable debt securities by effective contractual maturity dates (in millions):
As of
September 30, 2024
Due in 1 year or less
$
5,439
Due in 1 year through 5 years
36,972
Due in 5 years through 10 years
12,416
Due after 10 years
13,220
Total
$
68,047
The following tables present fair values and gross unrealized losses recorded to AOCI, aggregated by investment category and the length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous loss position (in millions):
As of December 31, 2023
Less than 12 Months
12 Months or Greater
Total
Fair Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair Value
Unrealized
Loss
Government bonds
$
1,456
$
(
22
)
$
13,897
$
(
657
)
$
15,353
$
(
679
)
Corporate debt securities
827
(
5
)
15,367
(
592
)
16,194
(
597
)
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities
2,945
(
26
)
7,916
(
608
)
10,861
(
634
)
Total
$
5,228
$
(
53
)
$
37,180
$
(
1,857
)
$
42,408
$
(
1,910
)
As of September 30, 2024
Less than 12 Months
12 Months or Greater
Total
Fair Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair Value
Unrealized
Loss
Fair Value
Unrealized
Loss
Government bonds
$
2,636
$
(
18
)
$
2,920
$
(
75
)
$
5,556
$
(
93
)
Corporate debt securities
570
(
1
)
7,899
(
193
)
8,469
(
194
)
Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities
142
0
4,312
(
233
)
4,454
(
233
)
Total
$
3,348
$
(
19
)
$
15,131
$
(
501
)
$
18,479
$
(
520
)
We determine realized gains or losses on the sale or extinguishment of debt securities on a specific identification method.
The following table summarizes gains and losses for debt securities, reflected as a component of OI&E (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Unrealized gain (loss) on fair value option debt securities
$
(
86
)
$
262
$
35
$
193
Gross realized gain on debt securities
8
196
93
426
Gross realized loss on debt securities
(
402
)
(
316
)
(
1,197
)
(
1,252
)
(Increase) decrease in allowance for credit losses
(
23
)
18
(
31
)
21
Total gain (loss) on debt securities recognized in other income (expense), net
The carrying value of equity securities is measured as the total initial cost plus the cumulative net gain (loss). Gains and losses, including impairments, are included as a component of OI&E in the Consolidated Statements of Income. See Note 6 for further details on OI&E.
Certain of our non-marketable equity securities include our investments in variable interest entities (VIE) where we are not the primary beneficiary. See Note 4 for further details on variable interest entities.
The carrying values for marketable and non-marketable equity securities are summarized below (in millions):
As of December 31, 2023
As of September 30, 2024
Marketable Equity Securities
Non-Marketable Equity Securities
Total
Marketable Equity Securities
Non-Marketable Equity Securities
Total
Total initial cost
$
5,418
$
17,616
$
23,034
$
5,021
$
19,770
$
24,791
Cumulative net gain (loss)
(1)
555
11,150
11,705
456
13,894
14,350
Carrying value
$
5,973
$
28,766
$
34,739
$
5,477
$
33,664
$
39,141
(1)
Non-marketable equity securities cumulative net gain (loss) is comprised of $
18.1
billion gains and $
6.9
billion losses (including impairments) as of December 31, 2023 and $
22.4
billion gains and $
8.5
billion losses (including impairments) as of September 30, 2024.
Gains and Losses on Marketable and Non-marketable Equity Securities
Gains and losses (including impairments), net, for marketable and non-marketable equity securities included in OI&E are summarized below (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Realized net gain (loss) on equity securities sold during the period
$
42
$
41
$
348
$
216
Unrealized net gain (loss) on marketable equity securities
(
224
)
318
136
96
Unrealized net gain (loss) on non-marketable equity securities
(1)
(
184
)
1,462
(
678
)
3,038
Total gain (loss) on equity securities in other income (expense), net
$
(
366
)
$
1,821
$
(
194
)
$
3,350
(1)
Unrealized gain (loss) on non-marketable equity securities accounted for under the measurement alternative is comprised of $
599
million and $
1.9
billion of upward adjustments and $
783
million and $
412
million of downward adjustments (including impairments) for the
three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024
, respectively, and $
1.6
billion and $
5.0
billion of upward adjustments and $
2.3
billion and $
2.0
billion of downward adjustments (including impairments) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and
2024
, respectively.
In the table above, realized net gain (loss) on equity securities sold during the period reflects the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the equity securities at the beginning of the period or the purchase date, if later.
Cumulative net gains (losses) on equity securities sold during the period, which is summarized in the following table (in millions), represents the total net gains (losses) recognized after the initial purchase date of the equity security sold during the period. While these net gains (losses) may have been reflected in periods prior to the period of sale, we believe they are important supplemental information as they reflect the economic net gains (losses) on the securities sold during the period. Cumulative net gains (losses) are calculated as the difference between the sale price and the initial purchase price for the equity security sold during the period.
Equity Securities Accounted for Under the Equity Method
As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, equity securities accounted for under the equity method had a carrying value of approximately $
1.7
billion and $
2.0
billion, respectively.
Our share of gains and losses, including impairments, are included as a component of OI&E, in the Consolidated Statements of Income. See Note 6 for further details on OI&E. Certain of our equity method securities include our investments in VIEs where we are not the primary beneficiary.
See Note 4 for further details on VIEs.
Convertible Notes
As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, we had investments in convertible notes of $
921
million and $
2.8
billion, respectively, majority of which are convertible notes held for investment.
Our convertible notes held for investment are recorded at amortized cost which includes unpaid principal balances, deferred origination costs, and any related discount or premium, net of allowances for credit losses, and are included within other non-current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Derivative Financial Instruments
We use derivative instruments to manage risks relating to our ongoing business operations. The primary risk managed is foreign exchange risk. We use foreign currency contracts to reduce the risk that our cash flows, earnings, and investment in foreign subsidiaries will be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. We also enter into derivative instruments to partially offset our exposure to other risks and enhance investment returns.
We recognize derivative instruments in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value and classify the derivatives primarily within Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. We present our collar contracts (an option strategy comprised of a combination of purchased and written options) at net fair values and present all other derivatives at gross fair values. The accounting treatment for derivatives is based on the intended use and hedge designation.
Cash Flow Hedges
We designate foreign currency forward and option contracts (including collars) as cash flow hedges to hedge certain forecasted revenue transactions denominated in currencies other than the United States (U.S.) dollar. These contracts have maturities of
24
months
or les
s.
Cash flow hedge amounts included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness are deferred in AOCI and subsequently reclassified to revenue when the hedged item is recognized in earnings. We exclude forward points and time value from our assessment of hedge effectiveness and amortize them on a straight-line basis over the life of the hedging instrument in revenues. The difference between fair value changes of the excluded component and the amount amortized to revenues is recorded in AOCI.
As of September 30, 2024, the net accumulated loss on our foreign currency cash flow hedges before tax effect was
$
433
million
, which is expected to be reclassified from AOCI into revenues within the next 12 months.
Fair Value Hedges
We designate foreign currency forward contracts as fair value hedges to hedge foreign currency risks for our marketable securities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Fair value hedge amounts included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness are recognized in OI&E, along with the offsetting gains and losses of the related hedged items. We exclude forward points from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and recognize changes in the excluded component in OI&E.
Net Investment Hedges
We designate foreign currency forward contracts as net investment hedges to hedge the foreign currency risks related to our investment in foreign subsidiaries. Net investment hedge amounts included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness are recognized in AOCI along with the foreign currency translation adjustment. We exclude forward points from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and recognize changes in the excluded component in OI&E.
Other Derivatives
We enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts that are not designated as hedging instruments to hedge intercompany transactions and other monetary assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of a subsidiary. Gains and losses on these derivatives that are not designated as accounting hedges are primarily recorded in OI&E along with the foreign currency gains and losses on monetary assets and liabilities.
17
We also use derivatives not designated as hedging instruments to manage risks relating to interest rates, commodity prices, and credit exposures, and to enhance investment returns. From time to time, we enter into derivatives to hedge the market price risk on certain of our marketable equity securities. Gains and losses arising from other derivatives are primarily reflected within the “other” component of OI&E. See Note 6 for further details.
The gross notional amounts of outstanding derivative instruments were as follows (in millions):
As of
December 31, 2023
As of
September 30, 2024
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign exchange contracts
Cash flow hedges
$
18,039
$
22,693
Fair value hedges
$
2,065
$
1,714
Net investment hedges
$
9,472
$
7,047
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign exchange contracts
$
39,722
$
49,303
Other contracts
$
10,818
$
16,756
The fair values of outstanding derivative instruments were as follows (in millions):
As of December 31, 2023
As of September 30, 2024
Assets
(1)
Liabilities
(2)
Assets
(1)
Liabilities
(2)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign exchange contracts
$
205
$
242
$
8
$
587
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign exchange contracts
134
156
186
154
Other contracts
114
47
451
29
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
248
203
637
183
Total
$
453
$
445
$
645
$
770
(1)
Derivative assets are recorded as other current and non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(2)
Derivative liabilities are recorded as accrued expenses and other liabilities, current and non-current in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The gains (losses) on derivatives in cash flow hedging and net investment hedging relationships recognized in
other comprehensiv
e income (OCI) are summarized below (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationship:
Foreign exchange contracts
Amount included in the assessment of effectiveness
$
652
$
(
738
)
$
591
$
(
306
)
Amount excluded from the assessment of effectiveness
16
(
103
)
143
(
52
)
Derivatives in net investment hedging relationship:
Foreign exchange contracts
Amount included in the assessment of effectiveness
336
(
424
)
62
(
222
)
Total
$
1,004
$
(
1,265
)
$
796
$
(
580
)
18
The tables below present the gains (losses) of our derivatives included in the Consolidated Statements of Income: (in millions):
Three Months Ended September 30,
2023
2024
Revenues
Other income (expense), net
Revenues
Other income (expense), net
Total amounts included in the Consolidated Statements of Income
$
76,693
$
(
146
)
$
88,268
$
3,185
Effect of cash flow hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
Amount reclassified from AOCI to income
$
(
15
)
$
0
$
(
6
)
$
0
Amount excluded from the assessment of effectiveness (amortized)
14
0
23
0
Effect of fair value hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
Hedged items
0
(
48
)
0
69
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
0
48
0
(
69
)
Amount excluded from the assessment of effectiveness
0
2
0
4
Effect of net investment hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
Amount excluded from the assessment of effectiveness
0
13
0
47
Effect of non designated hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
0
(
340
)
0
(
52
)
Other contracts
0
83
0
(
32
)
Total gains (losses)
$
(
1
)
$
(
242
)
$
17
$
(
33
)
19
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023
2024
Revenues
Other income (expense), net
Revenues
Other income (expense), net
Total amounts included in the Consolidated Statements of Income
$
221,084
$
709
$
253,549
$
6,154
Effect of cash flow hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
Amount of gains (losses) reclassified from AOCI to income
$
71
$
0
$
174
$
0
Amount excluded from the assessment of effectiveness (amortized)
16
0
17
0
Effect of fair value hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
Hedged items
0
6
0
44
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
0
(
6
)
0
(
45
)
Amount excluded from the assessment of effectiveness
0
12
0
10
Effect of net investment hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
Amount excluded from the assessment of effectiveness
0
136
0
114
Effect of non designated hedges:
Foreign exchange contracts
0
(
186
)
0
(
53
)
Other contracts
0
82
0
70
Total gains (losses)
$
87
$
44
$
191
$
140
Offsetting of Derivatives
We enter into master netting arrangements and collateral security arrangements to reduce credit risk. Cash collateral received related to derivative instruments under our collateral security arrangements are included in
other current assets
with a corresponding
liability
. Cash and non-cash collateral pledged related to derivative instruments under our collateral security arrangements are included in other current assets.
The gross amounts of derivative instruments subject to master netting arrangements with various counterparties, and cash and non-cash collateral received and pledged under such agreements were as follows (in millions):
As of December 31, 2023
Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, but Have Legal Rights to Offset
Gross Amounts Recognized
Gross Amounts Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Net Amounts Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Financial Instruments
(1)
Cash and Non-Cash Collateral Received or Pledged
Net Amounts
Derivatives assets
$
535
$
(
82
)
$
453
$
(
213
)
$
(
75
)
$
165
Derivatives liabilities
$
527
$
(
82
)
$
445
$
(
213
)
$
(
16
)
$
216
20
As of September 30, 2024
Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, but Have Legal Rights to Offset
Gross Amounts Recognized
Gross Amounts Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Net Amounts Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Financial Instruments
(1)
Cash and Non-Cash Collateral Received or Pledged
Net Amounts
Derivatives assets
$
707
$
(
62
)
$
645
$
(
198
)
$
(
3
)
$
444
Derivatives liabilities
$
832
$
(
62
)
$
770
$
(
198
)
$
(
10
)
$
562
(1)
The balances as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024 were related to derivatives allowed to be net settled in accordance with our master netting agreements.
Note 4.
Variable Interest Entities
Consolidated VIEs
We consolidate VIEs in which we hold a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary. The results of operations and financial position of these VIEs are included in our consolidated financial statements.
For certain consolidated VIEs, their assets are not available to us, and their creditors do not have recourse to us. As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, assets that can only be used to settle obligations of these VIEs were $
4.9
billion and $
7.8
billion, respectively and are primarily included in cash and cash equivalents on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, liabilities for which creditors only have recourse to the VIEs were $
2.5
billion and $
1.9
billion, respectively. We may continue to fund ongoing operations of certain VIEs that are included within Other Bets.
Waymo, a fully autonomous driving technology company and a consolidated VIE, received $
4.8
billion in funding during the three months ended September 30, 2024, followed by an additional $
860
million in October 2024. The majority of the total funding of $
5.6
billion was provided by Alphabet. Investments from external parties were accounted for as equity transactions and resulted in recognition of noncontrolling interests.
As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, total noncontrolling interests (NCI) in our consolidated subsidiaries were $
3.4
billion, of which $
1.1
billion was redeemable noncontrolling interests (RNCI) for both periods. NCI and RNCI are included within additional paid-in capital. Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests was not material for any period presented and is included within the "other" component of OI&E. See Note 6 for further details on OI&E.
Unconsolidated VIEs
We have investments in VIEs in which we are not the primary beneficiary. These VIEs include private companies that are primarily early stage companies and certain renewable energy entities in which activities involve power generation using renewable sources.
We have determined that the governance structures of these entities do not allow us to direct the activities that would significantly affect their economic performance. Therefore, we are not the primary beneficiary, and the results of operations and financial position of these VIEs are not included in our consolidated financial statements. We account for these investments primarily as non-marketable equity securities or equity method investments, which are included within non-marketable securities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The maximum exposure of these unconsolidated VIEs is generally based on the current carrying value of the investments and any future funding commitments. As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, our future funding commitments related to unconsolidated VIE investments were $
1.7
billion and $
1.3
billion, respectively.
Note 5.
Debt
Short-Term Debt
We have a debt financing program of up to
$
10.0
billion through the issuance of commercial paper. Net proceeds from this program are used for general corporate purposes. We had
no
c
ommercial paper outstanding
as of December 31, 2023
and $
1.0
billion of commercial paper outstanding with a weighted-average effective interest rate of
4.8
% as of September 30, 2024. The estimated fair value of the commercial paper approximated its carrying value as of September 30, 2024.
21
Our short-term debt balance also includes the current portion of certain long-term debt.
Long-Term Debt
Total outstanding debt is summarized below (in millions, except percentages):
Maturity
Coupon Rate
Effective Interest Rate
As of
December 31, 2023
As of
September 30, 2024
Debt
2016-2020 Notes issuances
2025 - 2060
0.45
% -
2.25
%
0.57
% -
2.33
%
$
13,000
$
12,000
Future finance lease payments, net and other debt
(1)
1,746
2,785
Total debt
14,746
14,785
Unamortized discount and debt issuance costs
(
130
)
(
121
)
Less: Current portion of long-term notes
(2)
(
1,000
)
(
999
)
Less: Current portion of future finance lease payments, net and other current debt
(1)(2)
(
363
)
(
1,368
)
Total long-term debt
$
13,253
$
12,297
(1)
Future finance lease payments are net of imputed interest.
(2)
Total current portion of long-term debt is included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities. See Note 6 for further details.
The notes in the table above are fixed-rate senior unsecured obligations and rank equally with each other. We may redeem the notes at any time in whole or in part at specified redemption prices. The effective interest rates are based on proceeds received with interest payable semi-annually.
The total estimated fair value of the outstanding notes was approximately $
10.3
billion and $
9.5
billion as of
December 31, 2023
and September 30, 2024, respectively. The fair value was determined based on observable market prices of identical instruments in less active markets and is categorized accordingly as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.
Credit Facility
As of September 30, 2024, we had
$
10.0
billion
of revolving credit facilities, of which
$
4.0
billion
expires in April 2025 and
$
6.0
billion
expires in April 2028.
The interest rates for all credit facilities are determined based on a formula using certain market rates, as well as our progress toward the achievement of certain sustainability goals.
No
amoun
ts were outstanding under the credit facilities as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
Note 6.
Supplemental Financial Statement Information
Accounts Receivable
The allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable was
$
771
million
and $
857
million as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, respectively.
Property and Equipment, Net
Property and equipment, net, co
nsisted of the following (in millions):
As of
December 31, 2023
As of
September 30, 2024
Land and buildings
$
74,083
$
80,300
Information technology assets
80,594
98,738
Construction in progress
35,229
46,009
Leasehold improvements
11,425
12,468
Furniture and fixtures
472
625
Property and equipment, gross
201,803
238,140
Less: accumulated depreciation
(
67,458
)
(
76,870
)
Property and equipment, net
$
134,345
$
161,270
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following (in millions):
As of
December 31, 2023
As of
September 30, 2024
European Commission fines
(1)
$
9,525
$
6,851
Accrued purchases of property and equipment
4,679
5,548
Accrued customer liabilities
4,140
3,872
Current operating lease liabilities
2,791
2,971
Income taxes payable, net
2,748
2,639
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities
22,285
24,704
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
$
46,168
$
46,585
(1)
The amounts related to the European Commission (EC) fines, including any under appeal, are included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, as we provided bank guarantees (in lieu of a cash payment) for the fines. Amounts include the effects of foreign exchange and interest. In the third quarter of 2024 we made a cash payment of $
3.0
billion for the 2017 EC shopping fine. See Note 9 for further details.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Components of AOCI, net of income tax, were as follows (in millions):
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Available-for-Sale Investments
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges
Total
Balance as of December 31, 2022
$
(
4,142
)
$
(
3,477
)
$
16
$
(
7,603
)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications
(
338
)
(
382
)
484
(
236
)
Amounts excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness recorded in AOCI
0
0
143
143
Amounts reclassified from AOCI
0
745
(
85
)
660
Other comprehensive income (loss)
(
338
)
363
542
567
Balance as of September 30, 2023
$
(
4,480
)
$
(
3,114
)
$
558
$
(
7,036
)
23
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Available-for-Sale Investments
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges
Total
Balance as of December 31, 2023
$
(
3,407
)
$
(
965
)
$
(
30
)
$
(
4,402
)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications
234
755
(
228
)
761
Amounts excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness recorded in AOCI
0
0
(
52
)
(
52
)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI
0
629
(
164
)
465
Other comprehensive income (loss)
234
1,384
(
444
)
1,174
Balance as of September 30, 2024
$
(
3,173
)
$
419
$
(
474
)
$
(
3,228
)
The effects on net income of amounts reclassified from AOCI were as follows (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
AOCI Components
Location
2023
2024
2023
2024
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale investments
Other income (expense), net
$
(
327
)
$
(
113
)
$
(
955
)
$
(
807
)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes
72
25
210
178
Net of income tax
(
255
)
(
88
)
(
745
)
(
629
)
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges
Foreign exchange contracts
Revenue
(
15
)
(
6
)
71
174
Interest rate contracts
Other income (expense), net
2
0
5
1
Benefit (provision) for income taxes
16
4
9
(
11
)
Net of income tax
3
(
2
)
85
164
Total amount reclassified, net of income tax
$
(
252
)
$
(
90
)
$
(
660
)
$
(
465
)
Other Income (Expense), Net
Components of OI&E were as follows (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Interest income
$
1,066
$
1,243
$
2,755
$
3,394
Interest expense
(1)
(
116
)
(
54
)
(
239
)
(
215
)
Foreign currency exchange gain (loss), net
(
311
)
23
(
789
)
(
388
)
Gain (loss) on debt securities, net
(
503
)
160
(
1,100
)
(
612
)
Gain (loss) on equity securities, net
(
366
)
1,821
(
194
)
3,350
Performance fees
179
29
302
261
Income (loss) and impairment from equity method investments, net
(
215
)
(
107
)
(
372
)
(
101
)
Other
120
70
346
465
Other income (expense), net
$
(
146
)
$
3,185
$
709
$
6,154
(1)
Interest expense is net of interest capitalized of $
47
million and $
57
million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively, and $
134
million and $
143
million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively.
24
Note 7.
Business Combinations
character.ai
In accordance with the accounting requirements under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 805, during the three months ended September 30, 2024, we recorded $
2.7
billion of goodwill and $
413
million of intangible assets resulting from a transaction with character.ai (“Character”). In August 2024, we entered into a license agreement with Character pursuant to which we obtained a non-exclusive license to its current large language model technology. We paid Character $
2.7
billion in cash and canceled our convertible instruments. We also hired certain employees of Character. Goodwill was recorded in Google Services and Google Cloud and is deductible for tax purposes.
Note 8.
Goodwill
Goodwill
Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 were as follows (in millions):
Google Services
Google Cloud
Other Bets
Total
Balance as of December 31, 2023
$
21,118
$
7,199
$
881
$
29,198
Additions
2,438
292
0
2,730
Foreign currency translation and other adjustments
7
1
(
1
)
7
Balance as of September 30, 2024
$
23,563
$
7,492
$
880
$
31,935
Note 9.
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
We have content licensing agreements with future fixed or minimum guaranteed commitments of
$
9.2
billion
as of September 30, 2024, of which the majority is paid quarterly through the first quarter of 2030.
Indemnifications
In the normal course of business, including to facilitate transactions in our services and products and corporate activities, we indemnify certain parties, including advertisers, Google Network partners, distribution partners, customers of Google Cloud offerings, lessors, and service providers with respect to certain matters. We have agreed to defend and/or hold certain parties harmless against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants, or out of intellectual property infringement or other claims made against certain parties. Several of these agreements limit the time within which an indemnification claim can be made and the amount of the claim. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our officers and directors, and our bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations to our agents.
It is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount under these indemnification agreements due to the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Additionally, the payments we have made under such agreements have not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial position. However, to the extent that valid indemnification claims arise in the future, future payments by us could be significant and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows in a particular period.
As of September 30, 2024, we did not have any material indemnification claims that were probable or reasonably possible.
Legal Matters
We record a liability when we believe that it is probable that a loss has been incurred, and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. We evaluate developments in our legal matters that could affect the amount of liability that has been previously accrued, and the matters and related reasonably possible losses disclosed, and make adjustments as appropriate.
Certain outstanding matters seek speculative, substantial or indeterminate monetary amounts, substantial changes to our business practices and products, or structural remedies. Significant judgment is required to determine both the likelihood of there being a loss and the estimated amount of a loss related to such matters, and we may be unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of losses. The outcomes of outstanding legal
25
matters are inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and could, either individually or in aggregate, have a material adverse effect.
We expense legal fees in the period in which they are incurred.
Antitrust Matters
On November 30, 2010, the EC's Directorate General for Competition opened an investigation into various antitrust-related complaints against us.
•
On June 27, 2017, the EC announced its decision that certain actions taken by Google regarding its display and ranking of shopping search results and ads infringed European competition law. The EC decision imposed a €
2.4
billion ($
2.7
billion as of June 27, 2017) fine. We appealed the EC decision and implemented product changes to bring shopping ads into compliance with the EC's decision. On September 10, 2024, the European Court of Justice rejected our appeal and upheld the €
2.4
billion fine imposed in 2017. In the third quarter of 2024, we made a cash payment of $
3.0
billion for the 2017 shopping fine.
•
On July 18, 2018, the EC announced its decision that certain provisions in Google’s Android-related distribution agreements infringed European competition law. The EC decision imposed a €
4.3
billion ($
5.1
billion as of June 30, 2018) fine and directed the termination of the conduct at issue. On October 9, 2018, we appealed the EC decision, and on October 29, 2018, we implemented changes to certain of our Android distribution practices. On September 14, 2022, the General Court reduced the fine from €
4.3
billion to €
4.1
billion. We subsequently filed an appeal with the European Court of Justice. In 2018, we recognized a charge of $
5.1
billion for the fine, which we reduced by $
217
million in 2022.
•
On March 20, 2019, the EC announced its decision that certain contractual provisions in agreements that Google had with AdSense for Search partners infringed European competition law. The EC decision imposed a fine of €
1.5
billion ($
1.7
billion as of March 20, 2019) and directed actions related to AdSense for Search partners' agreements, which we implemented prior to the decision. On June 4, 2019, we appealed the EC decision. We recognized a charge of $
1.7
billion for the fine in the first quarter of 2019. On September 18, 2024, the European Union’s (EU) General Court overturned the EC decision and annulled the €
1.5
billion fine. The EC has until November 28, 2024 to appeal the decision.
In addition, on July 7, 2021, a number of state Attorneys General filed an antitrust complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Google’s operation of Android and Google Play violated U.S. antitrust laws and state antitrust and consumer protection laws. In September 2023, we reached a settlement in principle with 50 state Attorneys General and three territories. The U.S. District Court subsequently vacated the trial date with the states, and we expect any final approval of the settlement would come in 2024. In May 2024, we funded the settlement amount to an escrow agent.
In December 2023, a California jury delivered a verdict in a similar lawsuit in
Epic Games v. Google
. The jury found that Google violated antitrust laws related to Google Play's business. Epic did not seek monetary damages. The presiding judge issued a remedies decision on October 7, 2024, ordering a variety of alterations to our business models and operations and contractual agreements for Android and Google Play. We are appealing and have filed a motion to pause the implementation of some of the remedies pending the appeal. The trial court judge has temporarily paused the implementation of the remedies while the Court of Appeals considers our request to pause implementation of the remedies pending the duration of the appeal.
From time to time we are subject to formal and informal inquiries and investigations on various competition matters by regulatory authorities in the U.S., Europe, and other jurisdictions globally. Examples, for which given their nature we cannot estimate a possible loss include:
•
In August 2019, we began receiving civil investigative demands from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting information and documents relating to our prior antitrust investigations and certain aspects of our business. The DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on October 20, 2020 alleging that Google violated U.S. antitrust laws relating to Search and Search advertising. The trial ended on November 16, 2023, and on August 5, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Google violated such antitrust laws. A separate proceeding is being held to determine remedies, the range of which vary widely. The DOJ has proposed a high level remedy framework, which includes alterations to our products and services and our business models and operations, including structural remedies, and/or our distribution arrangements, among other changes, some of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements. Further, in June 2022, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) each opened an investigation into Search distribution practices.
26
•
On December 16, 2020, a number of state Attorneys General filed an antitrust complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging that Google violated U.S. antitrust laws as well as state deceptive trade laws relating to its advertising technology, and a trial is scheduled for March 2025. Additionally, on January 24, 2023, the DOJ, along with a number of state Attorneys General, filed an antitrust complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia alleging that Google’s digital advertising technology products violate U.S. antitrust laws, and on April 17, 2023, a number of additional state Attorneys General joined the complaint. The trial ended on September 27, 2024, and we expect a decision in late 2024 or early 2025. The EC, the CMA, and the ACCC each opened a formal investigation into Google's advertising technology business practices on June 22, 2021, May 25, 2022, and June 29, 2022, respectively. On June 14, 2023, the EC issued a Statement of Objections (SO) informing Google of its preliminary view that Google violated European antitrust laws relating to its advertising technology. We responded to the SO on December 1, 2023. On September 6, 2024, the CMA issued an SO informing Google of its preliminary view that Google violated UK competition laws relating to its advertising technology. We will respond to the SO.
•
In May 2022, the EC and the CMA each opened investigations into Google Play’s business practices. The EC closed its initial investigation, but is now investigating Google Play’s compliance with certain provisions of EU’s Digital Markets Act. Korean regulators are investigating Google Play's billing practices, including a formal review in May 2022 of Google's compliance with the new app store billing regulations.
We believe we have strong arguments against these claims and will defend ourselves vigorously. We continue to cooperate with federal and state regulators in the U.S., the EC, and other regulators around the world.
Privacy Matters
We are subject to a number of privacy-related laws and regulations, and we currently are party to a number of privacy investigations and lawsuits ongoing in multiple jurisdictions. For example, there are ongoing investigations and litigation in the U.S. and the EU, including those relating to our collection and use of location information, the choices we offer users, and advertising practices, which could result in significant fines, judgments, and product changes.
Patent and Intellectual Property Claims
We have had patent, copyright, trade secret, and trademark infringement lawsuits filed against us claiming that certain of our products, services, and technologies infringe others' intellectual property rights. Adverse results in these lawsuits may include awards of substantial monetary damages, costly royalty or licensing agreements, or orders preventing us from offering certain features, functionalities, products, or services. As a result, we may have to change our business practices and develop non-infringing products or technologies, which could result in a loss of revenues for us and otherwise harm our business. In addition, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has increasingly become an important forum to litigate intellectual property disputes because an ultimate loss in an ITC action can result in a prohibition on importing infringing products into the U.S. Because the U.S. is an important market, a prohibition on importation could have an adverse effect on us, including preventing us from importing many important products into the U.S. or necessitating workarounds that may limit certain features of our products.
Furthermore, many of our agreements with our customers and partners require us to indemnify them against certain intellectual property infringement claims, which would increase our costs as a result of defending such claims, and may require that we pay significant damages if there were an adverse ruling in any such claims. In addition, our customers and partners may discontinue the use of our products, services, and technologies, as a result of injunctions or otherwise, which could result in loss of revenues and adversely affect our business.
Other
We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government investigations, other proceedings, and consent orders involving competition, intellectual property, data security, tax and related compliance, labor and employment, commercial disputes, content generated by our users, goods and services offered by advertisers or publishers using our platforms, personal injury, consumer protection, and other matters. For example, we periodically have data incidents that we report to relevant regulators as required by law. Such claims, consent orders, lawsuits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings could result in substantial fines and penalties, injunctive relief, ongoing monitoring and auditing obligations, changes to our products and services, alterations to our business models and operations, and collateral related civil litigation or other adverse consequences, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
27
We have ongoing legal matters relating to Russia. For example, civil judgments that include compounding penalties have been imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties. We do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect.
Non-Income Taxes
We are under audit by various domestic and foreign tax authorities with regards to non-income tax matters. The subject matter of non-income tax audits primarily arises from disputes on the tax treatment and tax rate applied to the sale of our products and services in these jurisdictions and the tax treatment of certain employee benefits. We accrue non-income taxes that may result from examinations by, or any negotiated agreements with, these tax authorities when a loss is probable and reasonably estimable. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. Due to the inherent complexity and uncertainty of these matters and judicial process in certain jurisdictions, the final outcome may be materially different from our expectations.
See Note 13 for information regarding income tax contingencies.
Note 10.
Stockholders' Equity
Share Repurchases
In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we continued to repurchase both Class A and Class C shares in a manner deemed in the best interest of the company and its stockholders, taking into account the economic cost and prevailing market conditions, including the relative trading prices and volumes of the Class A and Class C shares. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we repurchased $
15.3
billion and $
47.0
billion, respectively, of Alphabet's Class A and Class C shares.
In April 2023, the Board of Directors of Alphabet authorized the company to repurchase up to $
70.0
billion of its Class A and Class C shares. Repurchases made pursuant to the April 2023 authorization were completed during the third quarter of 2024. In April 2024, the Board of Directors of Alphabet authorized the company to repurchase up to an additional $
70.0
billion of its Class A and Class C shares. As of September 30, 2024, $
59.7
billion remained available for Class A and Class C share repurchases.
The following table presents Class A and Class C shares repurchased and subsequently retired (in millions):
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Class A share repurchases
17
$
2,846
59
$
9,461
Class C share repurchases
73
12,453
234
37,493
Total share repurchases
(1)
90
$
15,299
293
$
46,954
(1)
Shares repurchased include unsettled repurchases as of September 30, 2024.
Repurchases are executed from time to time, subject to general business and market conditions and other investment opportunities, through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, including through Rule 10b5-1 plans. The repurchase program does not have an expiration date.
Dividends
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, total cash dividends were $
1.2
billion and $
2.3
billion for Class A, $
173
million and $
346
million for Class B, and $
1.1
billion and $
2.2
billion for Class C shares, respectively.
The company intends to pay quarterly cash dividends in the future, subject to review and approval by the company’s Board of Directors in its sole discretion.
28
Note 11.
Net Income Per Share
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share of Class A, Class B, and Class C stock (in millions, except per share amounts):
Three Months Ended September 30,
2023
2024
Class A
Class B
Class C
Consolidated
Class A
Class B
Class C
Consolidated
Basic net income per share:
Numerator
Allocation of distributed earnings (cash dividends paid)
$
0
$
0
$
0
$
0
$
1,170
$
173
$
1,112
$
2,455
Allocation of undistributed earnings
9,271
1,369
9,049
19,689
11,351
1,678
10,817
23,846
Net income
$
9,271
$
1,369
$
9,049
$
19,689
$
12,521
$
1,851
$
11,929
$
26,301
Denominator
Number of shares used in per share computation
5,924
875
5,782
12,581
5,850
865
5,575
12,290
Basic net income per share
$
1.56
$
1.56
$
1.56
$
1.56
$
2.14
$
2.14
$
2.14
$
2.14
Diluted net income per share:
Numerator
Allocation of total earnings for basic computation
$
9,271
$
1,369
$
9,049
$
19,689
$
12,521
$
1,851
$
11,929
$
26,301
Reallocation of total earnings as a result of conversion of Class B to Class A shares
1,369
0
0
_
(1)
1,851
0
0
_
(1)
Reallocation of undistributed earnings
(
96
)
(
12
)
96
_
(1)
(
135
)
(
17
)
135
_
(1)
Net income
$
10,544
$
1,357
$
9,145
$
19,689
$
14,237
$
1,834
$
12,064
26,301
Denominator
Number of shares used in basic computation
5,924
875
5,782
12,581
5,850
865
5,575
12,290
Weighted-average effect of dilutive securities
Add:
Conversion of Class B to Class A shares outstanding
875
0
0
_
(1)
865
0
0
_
(1)
Restricted stock units and other contingently issuable shares
0
0
115
115
0
0
129
129
Number of shares used in per share computation
6,799
875
5,897
12,696
6,715
865
5,704
12,419
Diluted net income per share
$
1.55
$
1.55
$
1.55
$
1.55
$
2.12
$
2.12
$
2.12
$
2.12
(1)
Not applicable for consolidated net income per share.
29
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023
2024
Class A
Class B
Class C
Consolidated
Class A
Class B
Class C
Consolidated
Basic net income per share:
Numerator
Allocation of distributed earnings (cash dividends paid)
$
0
$
0
$
0
$
0
$
2,343
$
346
$
2,232
$
4,921
Allocation of undistributed earnings
24,851
3,682
24,575
53,108
32,599
4,821
31,241
68,661
Net income
$
24,851
$
3,682
$
24,575
$
53,108
$
34,942
$
5,167
$
33,473
$
73,582
Denominator
Number of shares used in per share computation
5,932
879
5,866
12,677
5,863
867
5,619
12,349
Basic net income per share
$
4.19
$
4.19
$
4.19
$
4.19
$
5.96
$
5.96
$
5.96
$
5.96
Diluted net income per share:
Numerator
Allocation of total earnings for basic computation
$
24,851
$
3,682
$
24,575
$
53,108
$
34,942
$
5,167
$
33,473
$
73,582
Reallocation of total earnings as a result of conversion of Class B to Class A shares
3,682
0
0
_
(1)
5,167
0
0
_
(1)
Reallocation of undistributed earnings
(
187
)
(
24
)
187
_
(1)
(
394
)
(
51
)
394
_
(1)
Net income
$
28,346
$
3,658
$
24,762
$
53,108
$
39,715
$
5,116
$
33,867
$
73,582
Denominator
Number of shares used in basic computation
5,932
879
5,866
12,677
5,863
867
5,619
12,349
Weighted-average effect of dilutive securities
Add:
Conversion of Class B to Class A shares outstanding
879
0
0
_
(1)
867
0
0
_
(1)
Restricted stock units and other contingently issuable shares
0
0
84
84
0
0
131
131
Number of shares used in per share computation
6,811
879
5,950
12,761
6,730
867
5,750
12,480
Diluted net income per share
$
4.16
$
4.16
$
4.16
$
4.16
$
5.90
$
5.90
$
5.89
$
5.90
(1)
Not applicable for consolidated net income per share.
For the periods presented above, the holders of each class are entitled to equal per share dividends or distributions in liquidation in accordance with the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Alphabet Inc. Holders of Alphabet unvested stock units are awarded dividend equivalents, which are subject to the same vesting conditions as the underlying award, and settled in Class C shares.
Immaterial differences in net income per share across our Class A, Class B, and Class C shares may arise due to the allocation of distributed earnings based on the holders as of the record date, compared with the allocation of undistributed earnings and number of shares based on weighted average over the periods.
30
Note 12.
Compensation Plans
Stock-Based
Compensation
For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, total stock based compensation (SBC) expense was $
5.8
billion and $
5.9
billion, including amounts associated with awards we expect to settle in Alphabet stock of $
5.6
billion and $
5.7
billion, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, total SBC expense was $
16.5
billion and $
17.0
billion, including amounts associated with awards we expect to settle in Alphabet stock of $
16.3
billion and $
16.4
billion, re
spectively.
Stock-Based Award Activities
The following table summarizes the activities for unvested Alphabet restricted stock units (RSUs), which include dividend equivalents awarded to holders of unvested stock, for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 (in millions, except per share amounts):
Number of
Shares
Weighted-
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
Unvested as of December 31, 2023
338
$
104.93
Granted
185
$
138.23
Vested
(
150
)
$
110.04
Forfeited/canceled
(
29
)
$
112.01
Unvested as of September 30, 2024
344
$
119.95
As of September 30, 2024, there was $
39.6
billion of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested RSUs. This amount is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of
2.6
years.
Note 13.
Income Taxes
The following table presents provision for income taxes (in millions, except for effective tax rate):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Income before provision for income taxes
$
21,197
$
31,706
$
61,305
$
87,572
Provision for income taxes
$
1,508
$
5,405
$
8,197
$
13,990
Effective tax rate
7.1
%
17.0
%
13.4
%
16.0
%
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in evaluating our uncertain tax positions and determining our provision for income taxes. The total amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits was $
9.4
billion and $
12.0
billion, of which $
7.4
billion and $
9.5
billion, if
recognized,
would affect our effective tax rate, as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, respectively.
Note 14.
Information about Segments and Geographic Areas
We report our segment results as Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets:
•
Google Services includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. Google Services generates revenues primarily from advertising; fees received for consumer subscription-based products such as YouTube TV, YouTube Music and Premium, and NFL Sunday Ticket, as well as Google One; the sale of apps and in-app purchases and devices.
•
Google Cloud includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Google Cloud generates revenues primarily from consumption-based fees and subscriptions received for Google Cloud Platform services, Google Workspace communication and collaboration tools, and other enterprise services.
•
Other Bets is a combination of multiple operating segments that are not individually material. Revenues from Other Bets are generated primarily from the sale of healthcare-related services and internet services.
Revenues, certain costs, such as costs associated with content and traffic acquisition, certain engineering activities, and devices, as well as certain operating expenses are directly attributable to our segments. Due to the integrated nature of Alphabet, other costs and expenses, such as technical infrastructure and office facilities, are
31
managed centrally at a consolidated level. These costs, including the associated depreciation and impairment, are allocated to operating segments as a service cost generally based on usage, headcount, or revenue.
As announced on April 18, 2024, we further consolidated teams that focus on building AI models across Google Research and Google DeepMind to further accelerate our progress in AI. AI model development teams previously under Google Research in our Google Services segment are included as part of Google DeepMind, reported within Alphabet-level activities, prospectively beginning in the second quarter of 2024.
Certain costs are not allocated to our segments because they represent Alphabet-level activities. These costs primarily include AI-focused shared R&D activities, including development costs of our general AI models; corporate initiatives such as our philanthropic activities; corporate shared costs such as certain finance, human resource, and legal costs, including certain fines and settlements. Charges associated with employee severance and office space reductions during 2023 and 2024 were also not allocated to our segments. Additionally, hedging gains (losses) related to revenue are not allocated to our segments.
Our operating segments are not evaluated using asset information.
The following table presents information about our segments (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Revenues:
Google Services
$
67,986
$
76,510
$
196,232
$
220,836
Google Cloud
8,411
11,353
23,896
31,274
Other Bets
297
388
870
1,248
Hedging gains (losses)
(
1
)
17
86
191
Total revenues
$
76,693
$
88,268
$
221,084
$
253,549
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Operating income (loss):
Google Services
$
23,937
$
30,856
$
69,128
$
88,427
Google Cloud
266
1,947
852
4,019
Other Bets
(
1,194
)
(
1,116
)
(
3,232
)
(
3,270
)
Alphabet-level activities
(
1,666
)
(
3,166
)
(
6,152
)
(
7,758
)
Total income from operations
$
21,343
$
28,521
$
60,596
$
81,418
See Note 2 for information relating to revenues by geography.
The following table presents long-lived assets by geographic area, which includes property and equipment, net and operating lease assets (in millions):
As of
December 31, 2023
As of
September 30, 2024
Long-lived assets:
United States
$
110,053
$
129,318
International
38,383
45,513
Total long-lived assets
$
148,436
$
174,831
32
ITEM 2.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Please read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with "Note About Forward-Looking Statements" and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included under Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as well as our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, including Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors," as updated in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Understanding Alphabet’s Financial Results
Alphabet is a collection of businesses — the largest of which is Google. We report Google in two segments, Google Services and Google Cloud; we also report all non-Google businesses collectively as Other Bets. For further details on our segments, see Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Revenues and Monetization Metrics
We generate revenues by delivering relevant, cost-effective online advertising; cloud-based solutions that provide enterprise customers of all sizes with infrastructure and platform services as well as communication and collaboration tools; sales of other products and services, such as fees received for subscription-based products, apps and in-app purchases, and devices. For additional information on how we recognize revenue, see Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
In addition to the long-term trends and their financial effect on our business discussed in "Trends in Our Business and Financial Effect" in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, fluctuations in our revenues have been and may continue to be affected by a combination of factors, including:
•
changes in foreign currency exchange rates;
•
changes in pricing, such as those resulting from changes in fee structures, discounts, and customer incentives;
•
general economic conditions and various external dynamics, including geopolitical events, regulations, and other measures and their effect on advertiser, consumer, and enterprise spending;
•
new product and service launches; and
•
seasonality.
Additionally, fluctuations in our revenues generated from advertising ("Google advertising"), revenues from other sources ("Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices revenues"), Google Cloud, and Other Bets revenues have been, and may continue to be, affected by other factors unique to each set of revenues, as described below.
Google Services
Google Services revenues consist of Google advertising as well as Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices revenues.
Google Advertising
Google advertising revenues are comprised of the following:
•
Google Search & other, which includes revenues generated on Google search properties (including revenues from traffic generated by search distribution partners who use Google.com as their default search in browsers, toolbars, etc.), and other Google owned and operated properties like Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Play;
•
YouTube ads, which includes revenues generated on YouTube properties; and
•
Google Network, which includes revenues generated on Google Network properties participating in AdMob, AdSense, and Google Ad Manager.
We use certain metrics to track how well traffic across various properties is monetized as it relates to our advertising revenues: paid clicks and cost-per-click pertain to traffic on Google Search & other properties, while impressions and cost-per-impression pertain to traffic on our Google Network properties.
33
Paid clicks represent engagement by users and include clicks on advertisements by end-users on Google search properties and other Google owned and operated properties including Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Play. Cost-per-click is defined as click-driven revenues divided by our total number of paid clicks and represents the average amount we charge advertisers for each engagement by users.
Impressions include impressions displayed to users on Google Network properties participating primarily in AdMob, AdSense, and Google Ad Manager. Cost-per-impression is defined as impression-based and click-based revenues divided by our total number of impressions, and represents the average amount we charge advertisers for each impression displayed to users.
As our business evolves, we periodically review, refine, and update our methodologies for monitoring, gathering, and counting the number of paid clicks and the number of impressions, and for identifying the revenues generated by the corresponding click and impression activity.
Fluctuations in our advertising revenues, as well as the change in paid clicks and cost-per-click on Google Search & other properties and the change in impressions and cost-per-impression on Google Network properties and the correlation between these items have been, and may continue to be, affected by factors in addition to the general factors described above, such as:
•
advertiser competition for keywords;
•
changes in advertising quality, formats, delivery or policy;
•
changes in device mix;
•
seasonal fluctuations in internet usage, advertising expenditures, and underlying business trends, such as traditional retail seasonality; and
•
traffic growth in emerging markets compared to more mature markets and across various verticals and channels.
Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices
Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices revenues are comprised of the following:
•
consumer subscriptions, which primarily include revenues from YouTube services, such as YouTube TV, YouTube Music and Premium, and NFL Sunday Ticket, as well as Google One;
•
platforms, which primarily include revenues from Google Play from the sales of apps and in-app purchases;
•
devices, which primarily include sales of the Pixel family of devices; and
•
other products and services.
Fluctuations in our Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices revenues have been, and may continue to be, affected by factors in addition to the general factors described above, such as changes in customer usage and demand, number of subscribers, and fluctuations in the timing of product launches.
Google Cloud
Google Cloud revenues are comprised of the following:
•
Google Cloud Platform, which generates consumption-based fees and subscriptions for infrastructure, platform, and other services. These services provide access to solutions such as cybersecurity, databases, analytics, and AI offerings including our AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud;
•
Google Workspace, which includes subscriptions for cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet, with integrated features like Gemini for Google Workspace; and
•
other enterprise services.
Fluctuations in our Google Cloud revenues have been, and may continue to be, affected by factors in addition to the general factors described above, such as customer usage.
Other Bets
Revenues from Other Bets are generated primarily from the sale of healthcare-related services and internet services.
34
Costs and Expenses
Our cost structure has two components: cost of revenues and operating expenses. Our operating expenses include costs related to R&D, sales and marketing, and general and administrative functions. Certain of our costs and expenses, including those associated with the operation of our technical infrastructure as well as components of our operating expenses, are generally less variable in nature and may not correlate to changes in revenue. Additionally, fluctuations in compensation expenses may not directly correlate with changes in headcount, in particular due to annual SBC awards that generally vest over four years.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues is comprised of TAC and other costs of revenues.
•
TAC includes:
◦
amounts paid to our distribution partners who make available our search access points and services. Our distribution partners include browser providers, mobile carriers, original equipment manufacturers, and software developers; and
◦
amounts paid to Google Network partners primarily for ads displayed on their properties.
•
Other cost of revenues primarily includes:
◦
compensation expense related to our technical infrastructure and other operations such as content review and customer and product support;
◦
content acquisition costs, which are payments to content providers from whom we license video and other content for distribution on YouTube and Google Play (we pay fees to these content providers based on revenues generated or a flat fee);
◦
depreciation expense related to our technical infrastructure;
◦
inventory and other costs related to the devices we sell; and
◦
other technical infrastructure operations costs, including bandwidth, energy, and equipment costs.
TAC as a percentage of revenues generated from ads placed on Google Network properties are significantly higher than TAC as a percentage of revenues generated from ads placed on Google Search & other properties, because most of the advertiser revenues from ads served on Google Network properties are paid as TAC to our Google Network partners.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses are generally incurred during our normal course of business, which we categorize as either R&D, sales and marketing, or general and administrative.
The main components of our R&D expenses are:
•
compensation expenses for engineering and technical employees responsible for R&D related to our existing and new products and services;
•
depreciation; and
•
third-party services fees primarily relating to consulting and outsourced services in support of our engineering and product development efforts.
The main components of our sales and marketing expenses are:
•
compensation expenses for employees engaged in sales and marketing, sales support, and certain customer service functions; and
•
spending relating to our advertising and promotional activities in support of our products and services.
The main components of our general and administrative expenses are:
•
compensation expenses for employees in finance, human resources, information technology, legal, and other administrative support functions;
•
expenses relating to legal matters, including certain fines and settlements; and
•
third-party services fees, including audit, consulting, outside legal, and other outsourced administrative services.
35
Other Income (Expense), Net
OI&E, net primarily consists of interest income (expense), the effect of foreign currency exchange gains (losses), net gains (losses) and impairment on our marketable and non-marketable securities, performance fees, and income (loss) and impairment from our equity method investments.
For additional information, including how we account for our investments and factors that can drive fluctuations in the value of our investments, see Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 and Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosur
es About Market Risk” in our An
nual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 as well as Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Provision for Income Taxes
Provision for income taxes represents the estimated amount of federal, state, and foreign income taxes incurred in the U.S. and the many jurisdictions in which we operate. The provision includes the effect of reserve provisions and changes to reserves that are considered appropriate as well as the related net interest and penalties.
For additional information, see Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8
in our An
nual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 as well as Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Executive Overview
The following table summarizes our consolidated financial results (in millions, except per share information and percentages):
Three Months Ended
September 30,
2023
2024
$ Change
% Change
Consolidated revenues
$
76,693
$
88,268
$
11,575
15
%
Change in consolidated constant currency revenues
(1)
16
%
Cost of revenues
$
33,229
$
36,474
$
3,245
10
%
Operating expenses
$
22,121
$
23,273
$
1,152
5
%
Operating income
$
21,343
$
28,521
$
7,178
34
%
Operating margin
28
%
32
%
4
%
Other income (expense), net
$
(146)
$
3,185
$
3,331
NM
Net Income
$
19,689
$
26,301
$
6,612
34
%
Diluted EPS
(2)
$
1.55
$
2.12
$
0.57
37
%
NM = Not Meaningful
(1)
See "Use of Non-GAAP Constant Currency Measures" below for details relating to our use of constant currency information.
(2)
For additional information on the calculation of diluted EPS, see Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
•
Revenues were
$88.3 billion, an increase of 15% year over year, primarily driven by an increase in Google Services revenues of $8.5 billion, or 13%, and an increase in Google Cloud revenues of $2.9 billion, or 35%
.
•
Total constant currency revenues, which exclude the effect of hedging, increased 16% year over year.
•
Cost of revenues was $36.5 billion, an increase of 10% year over year, primarily driven by increases in TAC, content acquisition costs, depreciation expense, and devices costs due to Pixel family product launch timing in the third quarter this year as compared to the fourth quarter last year.
•
Operating expenses were $23.3 billion, an increase of 5% year over year, primarily driven by charges related to our office space optimization efforts and increases in depreciation expense, compensation
36
expenses, and advertising and promotional activities. These increases were partially offset by a reduction in charges related to legal and other matters.
Other Information
•
Dividend payments to stockholders of Class A, Class B, and Class C shares
were $1.2 billion, $173 million, and $1.1 billion, respectively, totaling $2.5 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2024. On October 29, 2024, Alphabet announced a cash dividend of $0.20 per share that will be paid on December 16, 2024, to stockholders of record as of December 9, 2024, on each of the company’s Class A, Class B, and Class C shares. For additional information, see Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
•
Repurchases of Class A and Class C shares were $2.8 billion and $12.5 billion, respectively, totaling $15.3 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2024. For additional information, see Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
•
Operating cash flow was $30.7 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2024, including a cash payment of $3.0 billion for the 2017 EC shopping fine, which included accrued interest. For additional information related to 2017 EC shopping fine, see Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
•
Capital expenditures, which primarily reflected investments in technical infrastructure, were $13.1 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2024.
•
As of September 30, 2024, we had 181,269 employees.
Financial Results
Revenues
The following table presents revenues by type (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Google Search & other
$
44,026
$
49,385
$
127,013
$
144,050
YouTube ads
7,952
8,921
22,310
25,674
Google Network
7,669
7,548
23,015
22,405
Google advertising
59,647
65,854
172,338
192,129
Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices
8,339
10,656
23,894
28,707
Google Services total
67,986
76,510
196,232
220,836
Google Cloud
8,411
11,353
23,896
31,274
Other Bets
297
388
870
1,248
Hedging gains (losses)
(1)
17
86
191
Total revenues
$
76,693
$
88,268
$
221,084
$
253,549
Google Services
Google advertising revenues
Google Search & other
Google Search & other revenues
increased $5.4 billion and $17.0 billion fr
om the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. The overall growth was driven by interrelated factors including increases in search queries resulting from growth in user adoption and usage on mobile devices; growth in advertiser spending; and improvements we have made in ad formats and delivery.
YouTube ads
YouTube ads revenues increased $969 million and $3.4 billion from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. The growth was driven by our brand advertising products followed by our direct response advertising products, both of which benefited from increased spending by our advertisers.
37
Google Network
Google Network revenues decreased $121 million from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily driven by the unfavorable effect of foreign currency exchange rates, partially offset by an increase in AdSense revenues.
Google Network revenues decreased $610 million from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024 primarily driven by the unfavorable effect of foreign currency exchange rates as well as a decrease in AdMob revenues.
Monetization Metrics
The following table presents changes in monetization metrics for Google Search & other revenues (paid clicks and cost-per-click) and Google Network revenues (impressions and cost-per-impression), expressed as a percentage, from three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to three and nine months ended September 30, 2024:
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024
2024
Google Search & other
Paid clicks change
4
%
5
%
Cost-per-click change
8
%
8
%
Google Network
Impressions change
(14)
%
(15)
%
Cost-per-impression change
15
%
14
%
Changes in paid clicks and impressions are driven by a number of interrelated factors, including changes in advertiser spending; ongoing product and policy changes; and, as it relates to paid clicks, fluctuations in search queries resulting from changes in user adoption and usage, primarily on mobile devices.
Changes in cost-per-click and cost-per-impression are driven by a number of interrelated factors including changes in device mix, geographic mix, advertiser spending, ongoing product and policy changes, product mix, property mix, and changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices
Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices revenu
es increased $2.3 billion and $4.8 billion
from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. The growth was primarily driven by increases in subscriptions and devices revenues. The increase in subscriptions revenues was largely from growth in the number of paid subscribers for YouTube services and to a lesser extent for Google One. The increase in devices revenues was primarily driven by increased sales of Pixel devices, due to Pixel family product launch timing in the third quarter this year as compared to the fourth quarter last year.
Google Cloud
Google Cloud revenues increased $2.9 billion and $7.4 billion from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. The growth was primarily driven by Google Cloud Platform followed by Google Workspace offerings. Google Cloud's infrastructure and platform services were the largest drivers of growth in Google Cloud Platform.
38
Revenues by Geography
The following table presents revenues by geography as a percentage of revenues, determined based on the addresses of our customers:
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
United States
47
%
49
%
47
%
49
%
EMEA
30
%
29
%
30
%
29
%
APAC
17
%
16
%
17
%
16
%
Other Americas
6
%
6
%
6
%
6
%
Hedging gains (losses)
0
%
0
%
0
%
0
%
For additional information, see Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Use of Non-GAAP Constant Currency Information
International revenues, which represent a significant portion of our revenues, are generally transacted in multiple currencies and therefore are affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
The effect of currency exchange rates on our business is an important factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons. We use non-GAAP constant currency revenues ("constant currency revenues") and non-GAAP percentage change in constant currency revenues ("percentage change in constant currency revenues") for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. We believe the presentation of results on a constant currency basis in addition to GAAP results helps improve the ability to understand our performance, because it excludes the effects of foreign currency volatility that are not indicative of our core operating results.
Constant currency information compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period over period. We define constant currency revenues as revenues excluding the effect of foreign currency exchange rate movements ("FX Effect") as well as hedging activities, which are recognized at the consolidated level. We use constant currency revenues to determine the constant currency revenue percentage change on a year-on-year basis. Constant currency revenues are calculated by translating current period revenues using prior year comparable period exchange rates, as well as excluding any hedging effects realized in the current period.
Constant currency revenue percentage change is calculated by determining the change in current period revenues over prior year comparable period revenues where current period foreign currency revenues are translated using prior year comparable period exchange rates and hedging effects are excluded from revenues of both periods.
These results should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, results reported in accordance with GAAP. Results on a constant currency basis, as we present them, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and are not a measure of performance presented in accordance with GAAP.
39
Th
e following table presents the foreign currency exchange effect on international revenues and total revenues (in millions, except percentages):
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
% Change from Prior Period
Three Months Ended September 30,
Less FX Effect
Constant Currency Revenues
As Reported
Less Hedging Effect
Less FX Effect
Constant Currency Revenues
2023
2024
United States
$
36,354
$
43,139
$
0
$
43,139
19
%
0
%
19
%
EMEA
22,661
25,472
(146)
25,618
12
%
(1)
%
13
%
APAC
13,126
14,547
(285)
14,832
11
%
(2)
%
13
%
Other Americas
4,553
5,093
(586)
5,679
12
%
(13)
%
25
%
Revenues, excluding hedging effect
76,694
88,251
(1,017)
89,268
15
%
(1)
%
16
%
Hedging gains (losses)
(1)
17
Total revenues
(1)
$
76,693
$
88,268
$
89,268
15
%
0
%
(1)
%
16
%
(1)
Total constant currency revenues of $89.3 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2024 increased $12.6 billion compared to $76.7 billion in revenues, excluding hedging effect, for the three months ended September 30, 2023.
EMEA revenue growth was unfavorably affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily due to the U.S. dollar strengthening relative to the Turkish lira.
APAC revenue growth was unfavorably affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily due to the U.S. dollar strengthening relative to the Japanese yen.
Other Americas revenue growth was unfavorably affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily due to the U.S. dollar strengthening relative to the Argentine peso and the Brazilian real.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
% Change from Prior Period
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Less FX Effect
Constant Currency Revenues
As Reported
Less Hedging Effect
Less FX Effect
Constant Currency Revenues
2023
2024
United States
$
104,291
$
123,072
$
0
$
123,072
18
%
0
%
18
%
EMEA
66,028
73,943
(309)
74,252
12
%
0
%
12
%
APAC
37,535
41,659
(1,319)
42,978
11
%
(4)
%
15
%
Other Americas
13,144
14,684
(1,043)
15,727
12
%
(8)
%
20
%
Revenues, excluding hedging effect
220,998
253,358
(2,671)
256,029
15
%
(1)
%
16
%
Hedging gains (losses)
86
191
Total revenues
(1)
$
221,084
$
253,549
$
256,029
15
%
0
%
(1)
%
16
%
(1)
Total constant currency revenues of $256.0 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 increased $35.0 billion compared to $221.1 billion in revenues, excluding hedging effect, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
EMEA revenue growth was not materially affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, as the effect of the U.S. dollar strengthening relative to the Turkish lira was largely offset by the U.S. dollar weakening relative to the British pound.
APAC revenue growth was unfavorably affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily due to the U.S. dollar strengthening relative to the Japanese yen.
Other Americas revenue growth was unfavorably affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily due to the U.S. dollar strengthening relative to the Argentine peso.
Costs and Expenses
40
Cost of Revenues
The following table presents cost of revenues, including TAC (in millions, except percentages):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
TAC
$
12,642
$
13,719
$
36,900
$
40,052
Other cost of revenues
20,587
22,755
58,857
65,641
Total cost of revenues
$
33,229
$
36,474
$
95,757
$
105,693
Total cost of revenues as a percentage of revenues
43
%
41
%
43
%
42
%
Cost of revenues increased $3.2 billion from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024 due to an increase in other cost of revenues and TAC of $2.2 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively. Cost of revenues increased $9.9 billion from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024 due to an increase in other cost of revenues and TAC of $6.8 billion and $3.2 billion, respectively.
The
increase
in TAC from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 was largely due to an increase in TAC paid to distribution partners, primarily driven by growth in revenues subject to TAC. The TAC rate decreased from 21.2% to 20.8% from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024 and decreased from 21.4% to 20.8% from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to a revenue mix shift from Google Network properties to Google Search & other properties. The TAC rate on Google Search & other revenues increased from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 primarily due to increases related to mobile searches, which carries higher TAC because more mobile searches are channeled through paid access points. The TAC rate on Google Network revenues was substantially consistent from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.
The increase in other cost of revenues from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024 was primarily due to increases in content acquisition costs, largely for YouTube, depreciation expense, and devices costs, due to Pixel family product launch timing in the third quarter this year as compared to the fourth quarter last year.
The increase in other cost of revenues from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was primarily due to increases in content acquisition costs, largely for YouTube, depreciation expense, other technical infrastructure operations costs, and third-party service fees. Additionally, devices costs contributed to the increase in other cost of revenues due to the Pixel family product launch timing in the third quarter this year as compared to the fourth quarter last year.
Research and Development
The following table presents R&D expenses (in millions, except percentages):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Research and development expenses
$
11,258
$
12,447
$
33,314
$
36,210
Research and development expenses as a percentage of revenues
15
%
14
%
15
%
14
%
R&D expenses increased $1.2 billion from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily driven by increases in compensation expenses of $358 million, depreciation expense of $353 million, and charges related to our office space optimization efforts of $188 million. The increase in compensation expenses was largely due to an increase in SBC expense of $214 million.
R&D expenses increased $2.9 billion from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024, primarily driven by increases in depreciation expense of $993 million, compensation expenses of $879 million, and third-party services fees of $597 million. The increase in compensation expenses was primarily driven by a $1.0 billion increase in SBC expenses, which reflects the reduction in valuation-based compensation liabilities related to certain Other Bets recognized in the prior year comparable period, partially offset by a $554 million decrease in severance and related charges.
41
Sales and Marketing
The following table presents sales and marketing expenses (in millions, except percentages):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Sales and marketing expenses
$
6,884
$
7,227
$
20,198
$
20,445
Sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues
9
%
8
%
9
%
8
%
Sales and marketing expenses increased $343 million from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily driven by an increase in advertising and promotional activities of $206 million.
Sales and marketing expenses increased $247 million from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024, due to a combination of factors, none of which were individually significant.
General and Administrative
The following table presents general and administrative expenses (in millions, except percentages):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
General and administrative expenses
$
3,979
$
3,599
$
11,219
$
9,783
General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues
5
%
4
%
5
%
4
%
General and administrative expenses decreased $380 million and $1.4 billion from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, primarily driven by a reduction in charges related to legal and other matters of $693 million and $1.4 billion, respectively, partially offset by a combination of factors, none of which were individually significant.
Segment Profitability
The following table presents segment operating income (loss) (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Operating income (loss):
Google Services
$
23,937
$
30,856
$
69,128
$
88,427
Google Cloud
266
1,947
852
4,019
Other Bets
(1,194)
(1,116)
(3,232)
(3,270)
Alphabet-level activities
(1)
(1,666)
(3,166)
(6,152)
(7,758)
Total income from operations
$
21,343
$
28,521
$
60,596
$
81,418
(1)
In addition to
the costs included in Alphabet-level activities, hedging gains (losses) related to revenue were $(1) million and $17 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively, and $86 million and $191 million
for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, Alphabet-level activities included substantially all of the charges related to employee severance and our office space optimization efforts. During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, we incurred office space charges totaling $607 million. For additional information relating to our segments, see Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
42
Google Services
Google Services operating income increased $6.9 billion and $19.3 billion from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. The increase in operating income was primarily driven by an increase in revenues, partially offset by increases in TAC and content acquisition costs. Additionally, a reduction in compensation expenses contributed to the increase in operating income.
Google Cloud
Google Cloud operating income increased $1.7 billion and $3.2 billion from the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. The increase in operating income was primarily driven by an increase in revenues, partially offset by increases in usage costs for technical infrastructure assets as well as compensation expenses, largely driven by headcount growth.
Other Bets
Other Bets operating loss decreased $78 million from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024, due to a combination of factors, none of which were individually significant.
Other Bets operating loss increased $38 million from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The increase in operating loss was primarily due to an increase in expenses, largely driven by compensation expenses, partially offset by an increase in revenues. The increase in compensation expenses was primarily as a result of the reduction in valuation-based compensation liabilities related to certain Other Bets recognized in the prior year comparable period.
Other Income (Expense), Net
The following table presents OI&E (in millions):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Interest income
$
1,066
$
1,243
$
2,755
$
3,394
Interest expense
(116)
(54)
(239)
(215)
Foreign currency exchange gain (loss), net
(311)
23
(789)
(388)
Gain (loss) on debt securities, net
(503)
160
(1,100)
(612)
Gain (loss) on equity securities, net
(366)
1,821
(194)
3,350
Performance fees
179
29
302
261
Income (loss) and impairment from equity method investments, net
(215)
(107)
(372)
(101)
Other
120
70
346
465
Other income (expense), net
$
(146)
$
3,185
$
709
$
6,154
OI&E increased $3.3 billion from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024. The increase was primarily due to an increase in net unrealized gains on equity securities driven by fair value adjustments related to observable transactions and market driven changes, and increased net gains on debt securities.
OI&E increased $5.4 billion from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The increase was primarily due to an increase in net unrealized gains on non-marketable equity securities driven by fair value adjustments related to observable transactions and increased interest income related to higher interest rates.
For additional information, see Note 6 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
43
Provision for Income Taxes
The following table presents provision for income taxes (in millions, except effective tax rate):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
2023
2024
2023
2024
Income before provision for income taxes
$
21,197
$
31,706
$
61,305
$
87,572
Provision for income taxes
$
1,508
$
5,405
$
8,197
$
13,990
Effective tax rate
7.1
%
17.0
%
13.4
%
16.0
%
The effective tax rate increased from the three months ended September 30, 2023 to the three months ended September 30, 2024. This increase was primarily due to a cumulative one-time adjustment recorded for tax rule changes issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the third quarter of 2023. Additionally, a decrease in the U.S. federal Foreign Derived Intangible Income tax deduction in 2024 contributed to the higher effective tax rate.
The effective tax rate increased from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024. This increase was primarily due to a one-time adjustment for tax rule changes issued by the IRS in the third quarter of 2023. Additionally, a decrease in the 2024 U.S. federal Foreign Derived Intangible Income tax deduction contributed to an increase in the effective tax rate. These factors were partially offset by an increase in stock-based compensation-related tax benefits in 2024.
The OECD is coordinating negotiations among more than 140 countries with the goal of achieving consensus around substantial changes to international tax policies, including the implementation of a minimum global effective tax rate of 15%. Some countries have already implemented the legislation effective January 1, 2024, and we expect others to follow, however we do not expect a material change to our income tax provision for the 2024 fiscal year. As additional jurisdictions enact such legislation, transitional rules lapse, and other provisions of the minimum tax legislation become effective, we expect our effective tax rate and cash tax payments could increase in future years.
Financial Condition
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities
As of September 30, 2024, we had $93.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term marketable securities. Cash equivalents and marketable securities are comprised of time deposits, money market funds, highly liquid government bonds, corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, and marketable equity securities.
Sources, Uses of Cash and Related Trends
Our principal sources of liquidity are cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, as well as the cash flow that we generate from operations. The primary use of capital continues to be to invest for the long-term growth of the business. We regularly evaluate our cash and capital structure, including the size, pace, and form of capital return to stockholders.
The following table presents our cash flows (in millions):
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023
2024
Net cash provided by operating activities
$
82,831
$
86,186
Net cash used in investing activities
$
(20,896)
$
(29,356)
Net cash used in financing activities
$
(52,785)
$
(60,697)
Cash Provided by Operating Activities
Our largest source of cash provided by operations are advertising revenues generated by Google Search & other properties, Google Network properties, and YouTube properties. In Google Services, we also generate cash through consumer subscriptions, the sale of apps and in-app purchases, and devices. In Google Cloud, we generate cash through consumption-based fees and subscriptions for infrastructure, platform, collaboration tools, and other cloud services.
Our primary uses of cash from operating activities include payments to distribution and Google Network partners, to employees for compensation, and to content providers. Other uses of cash from operating activities
44
include payments to suppliers for devices, to tax authorities for income taxes, and other general corporate expenditures.
Net cash provided by operating activities increased from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024
due to an increase in cash received from customers, partially offset by an increase in tax payments and a cash payment for the 2017 EC shopping fine. The increase in tax payments in comparison to the prior year comparable period was primarily due to the 2023 IRS payment deferral relief made available to taxpayers headquartered in designated counties in California.
Cash Used in Investing Activities
Cash provided by investing activities consists primarily of maturities and sales of investments in marketable and non-marketable securities. Cash used in investing activities consists primarily of purchases of marketable and non-marketable securities, purchases of property and equipment, and payments for acquisitions and purchases of intangible assets.
Net cash used in investing activities increased from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024
primarily due to an increase in purchases of property and equipment and purchases of marketable securities, partially offset by increases in maturities and sales of marketable securities.
Cash Used in Financing Activities
Cash provided by financing activities consists primarily of proceeds from issuance of debt and proceeds from the sale of interests in consolidated entities. Cash used in financing activities consists primarily of repurchases of stock, net payments related to stock-based award activities, payment of dividends, and repayments of debt.
Net cash used in financing activities increased from the nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024 due to dividend payments and net payments related to stock-based award activities.
Liquidity and Material Cash Requirements
We expect existing cash, cash equivalents, short-term marketable securities, and cash flows from operations and financing activities to continue to be sufficient to fund our operating activities and cash commitments for investing and financing activities for at least the next 12 months, and thereafter for the foreseeable future.
Capital Expenditures and Leases
We make investments in land and buildings for data centers and offices and information technology assets through purchases of property and equipment and lease arrangements to provide capacity for the growth of our services and products.
Capital Expenditures
Our capital investments in property and equipment consist primarily of the following major categories:
•
technical infrastructure, which consists of our investments in servers and network equipment for computing, storage, and networking requirements for ongoing business activities, including AI, (collectively referred to as our information technology assets) and data center land and building construction; and
•
office facilities, ground-up development projects, and building improvements (also referred to as "fit-outs").
Construction in progress consists primarily of technical infrastructure and office facilities which have not yet been placed in service. The time frame from date of purchase to placement in service of these assets may extend from months to years. For example, our data center construction projects are generally multi-year projects with multiple phases, where we acquire land and buildings, construct buildings, and secure and install information technology assets.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, we spent $21.2 billion and $38.3 billion on capital expenditures, respectively. We expect to increase, relative to 2023, our investment in our technical infrastructure, including servers, network equipment, and data centers, to support the growth of our business and our long-term initiatives, in particular in support of AI products and services. Depreciation of our property and equipment commences when the deployment of such assets are completed and are ready for our intended use. Land is not depreciated. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, our depreciation on property and equipment was $8.6 billion and $11.1 billion, respectively.
Leases
45
For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, we recognized total operating lease assets of $2.4 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively. As of September 30, 2024, the amount of total future lease payments under operating leases, which had a weighted average remaining lease term of 7.8 years, was $17.1 billion.
As of September 30, 2024, we have entered into leases that have not yet commenced with future lease payments of $6.1 billion, that are not yet recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. These leases will commence between 2024 and 2027 with non-cancelable lease terms of one to 25 years.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024, our operating lease expenses (including variable lease costs) were $3.4 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively. Finance lease costs were not material for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2024.
Financing
We have a short-term debt financing program of up to $10.0 billion through the issuance of commercial paper. Net proceeds from this program are used for general corporate purposes. As of September 30, 2024, we had $1.0 billion of short-term commercial paper outstanding.
As of September 30, 2024, we had $10.0 billion of revolving credit facilities, $4.0 billion expiring in April 2025 and $6.0 billion expiring in April 2028.
The interest rates for all credit facilities are determined based on a formula using certain market rates, as well as our progress toward the achievement of certain sustainability goals.
No amounts have been borrowed under the credit facilities.
As of September 30, 2024, we had senior unsecured notes outstanding with a total carrying value of $11.9 billion. For additional information, see Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
We primarily utilize contract manufacturers for the assembly of our servers used in our technical infrastructure and devices we sell. We have agreements where we may purchase components directly from suppliers and then supply these components to contract manufacturers for use in the assembly of the servers and devices. Certain of these arrangements result in a portion of the cash received from and paid to the contract manufacturers to be presented as financing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Share Repurchase Program
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we repurchased and subsequently retired 90 million and 293 million shares for $15.3 billion and $47.0 billion, respectively.
In April 2023, the Board of Directors of Alphabet authorized the company to repurchase up to $70.0 billion of its Class A and Class C shares. Repurchases made pursuant to the April 2023 authorization were completed during the third quarter of 2024. In April 2024, the Board of Directors of Alphabet authorized the company to repurchase up to an additional $70.0 billion of its Class A and Class C shares. As of September 30, 2024, $59.7 billion remained available for Class A and Class C share repurchases.
The following table presents Class A and Class C shares repurchased and subsequently retired (in millions):
Three Months Ended
September 30, 2024
Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2024
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Class A share repurchases
17
$
2,846
59
$
9,461
Class C share repurchases
73
12,453
234
37,493
Total share repurchases
(1)
90
$
15,299
293
$
46,954
(1)
Shares repurchased include unsettled repurchases as of September 30, 2024.
For additional information, see Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Dividend Program
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, total cash dividends were $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion for Class A, $173 million and $346 million for Class B, and $1.1 billion and $2.2 billion for Class C shares, respectively.
The company intends to pay quarterly cash dividends in the future, subject to review and approval by the company’s Board of Directors in its sole discretion.
46
European Commission Fines
In 2017, 2018, and 2019, the EC announced decisions that certain actions taken by Google infringed European competition law and imposed fines of €2.4 billion ($2.7 billion as of June 27, 2017), €4.3 billion ($5.1 billion as of June 30, 2018), and €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion as of March 20, 2019), respectively.
On September 14, 2022, the General Court reduced the 2018 fine from €4.3 billion to €4.1 billion. We subsequently appealed the General Court's decision to the European Court of Justice.
On September 10, 2024, the European Court of Justice rejected our appeal of the 2017 decision and upheld the €2.4 billion fine. In the third quarter of 2024, we made a cash payment of $3.0 billion for the 2017 shopping fine.
On September 18, 2024, the EU's General Court overturned the 2019 decision and annulled the €1.5 billion fine. The EC has until November 28, 2024 to appeal the decision.
We included the EC fines, including any under appeal, in accrued expenses and other current liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, as we provided bank guarantees (in lieu of a cash payment) for the fines. For additional information, see Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Taxes
As of September 30, 2024, we had short-term income taxes payable of $2.7 billion, related to a one-time transition tax payable incurred as a result of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("Tax Act"). As permitted by the Tax Act, we will pay the remaining transition tax installment in 2025. We also have long-term taxes payable of $8.2 billion primarily related to uncertain tax positions as of September 30, 2024.
Purchase Commitments and Other Contractual Obligations
As of September 30, 2024, we had material purchase commitments and other contractual obligations of $50.8 billion, of which $31.1 billion was short-term. These amounts primarily consist of purchase orders for certain technical infrastructure as well as the non-cancelable portion or the minimum cancellation fee in certain agreements related to commitments to purchase licenses, including content licenses, inventory, and network capacity. For those agreements with variable terms, we do not estimate the non-cancelable obligation beyond any minimum quantities and/or pricing as of September 30, 2024. In certain instances, the amount of our contractual obligations may change based on the expected timing of order fulfillment from our suppliers. For more information related to our content licenses, see Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
In addition, we regularly enter into multi-year, non-cancellable agreements to purchase renewable energy and energy attributes, such as renewable energy certificates. These agreements do not include a minimum dollar commitment. The amounts to be paid under these agreements are based on the actual volumes to be generated and are not readily determinable.
Critical Accounting Estimates
See Part II, Item 7, "Critical Accounting Estimates" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Available Information
Our website is located at
www.abc.xyz
, and our investor relations website is located at
www.abc.xyz/investor
. Access to our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our Proxy Statements,
and any amendments to these reports, is available on our investor relations website, free of charge, after we file or furnish them with the SEC and they are available on the SEC's website at
www.sec.gov
.
We webcast via our investor relations website our earnings calls and certain events we participate in or host with members of the investment community. Our investor relations website also provides notifications of news or announcements regarding our financial performance and other items of interest to our investors, including SEC filings, investor events, press and earnings releases, and blogs. We also share Google news and product updates on Google’s Keyword blog at
https://www.blog.google/
, which may be of interest or material to our investors. Further, corporate governance information, including our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, governance guidelines, board committee charters, and code of conduct, is also available on our investor relations website under the heading "Governance." The content of our websites is not incorporated by reference into this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.
47
ITEM 3.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
For quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk, refer to Part II, Item 7A, Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
ITEM 4.
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Based on this evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that, as of September 30, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures are designed at a reasonable assurance level and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended
September 30, 2024
that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures
In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
48
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For a description of our material pending legal proceedings, see Note 9 “Commitments and Contingencies - Legal Matters” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 1A.
RISK FACTORS
Our operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those described in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as updated in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results, and affect the trading price of our Class A and Class C stock. Below are material changes to our risk factors since our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
We are and may continue to be subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and other forms of regulatory scrutiny and legal liability, including competition matters, that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, other proceedings, and orders involving competition, intellectual property, data privacy and security, tax and related compliance, labor and employment, commercial disputes, content generated by our users, goods and services offered by advertisers or publishers using our platforms, personal injury, and other matters.
The DOJ, various U.S. states, and other plaintiffs have filed, and may continue to file in the future, several antitrust lawsuits about various aspects of our business, including our advertising technologies and practices, the operation and distribution of Google Search, and the operation and distribution of the Android operating system and Play Store.
For example, the DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit alleging that Google violated antitrust laws relating to Search and Search advertising, and in August 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Google violated such antitrust laws. The Court is holding a separate proceeding to determine remedies, which could include alterations to our products and services and our business models and operations, including structural remedies, and/or our distribution arrangements, among other changes. While we plan to appeal, there can be no assurance that our appeal will succeed, or that we will be able to change or decrease the severity of any remedies that may be ordered, and any or all of these potential remedies could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
Also, in December 2023, a California jury delivered a verdict in
Epic Games v. Google
finding that Google violated antitrust laws related to Google Play's business. The presiding judge issued a remedies decision on October 7, 2024 that ordered a variety of alterations to our business models and operations and contractual agreements for Android and Google Play. We are appealing and have filed a motion to pause the implementation of some of the remedies pending the appeal, but there can be no assurance that we will be successful in our appeal or in our efforts to pause the implementation of the remedies pending the appeal. If we are unsuccessful, we could face significant expenses to implement the remedies, and such costs and alterations could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
Other regulatory agencies in the U.S. and around the world, including competition enforcers, consumer protection agencies, and data protection authorities, have challenged and may continue to challenge our business practices and compliance with laws and regulations. We are cooperating with these investigations and defending litigation or appealing decisions where appropriate.
We are also subject to a variety of claims including product warranty, product liability, and consumer protection claims related to product defects, among other litigation, and we may also be subject to claims involving health and safety, hazardous materials usage, other environmental effects, AI training, development, and commercialization, or service disruptions or failures. Claims have been brought, and we expect will continue to be brought, against us for defamation, negligence, breaches of contract, patent, copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition, unlawful activity, torts, privacy rights violations, fraud, or other legal theories based on the nature and content of information available on or via our services, the design and effect of our products and services, or due to our involvement in hosting, transmitting, marketing, branding, or providing access to content created by third parties.
49
Various laws, regulations, investigations, enforcement lawsuits, and regulatory actions have involved in the past, and may in the future result in substantial fines and penalties, injunctive relief, ongoing monitoring and auditing obligations, changes to our products and services, alterations to our business models and operations, including divestiture, and collateral related civil litigation or other adverse consequences. Any of these legal proceedings could also result in legal costs, diversion of management resources, and negative publicity, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
Estimating liabilities for our pending proceedings is a complex, fact-specific, and speculative process that requires significant judgment, and the amounts we are ultimately liable for may be less than or exceed our estimates. The resolution of one or more such proceedings has resulted in, and may in the future result in, additional substantial fines, penalties, injunctions, and other sanctions that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
For additional information about the ongoing material legal proceedings to which we are subject, see Legal Proceedings in Part II, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
ITEM 2.
UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table presents information with respect to Alphabet's repurchases of Class A and Class C stock during the quarter ended September 30, 2024.
Period
Total Number of Class A Shares Purchased
(in thousands)
(1)
Total Number of Class C Shares Purchased
(in thousands)
(1)
Average Price Paid per Class A Share
(2)
Average Price Paid per Class C Share
(2)
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Programs
(in thousands)
(1)
Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Program
(in millions)
July 1 - 31
6,230
24,043
$
181.08
$
182.81
30,273
$
69,418
August 1 - 31
6,109
24,867
$
165.21
$
166.46
30,976
$
64,304
September 1 - 30
4,431
24,451
$
159.86
$
160.26
28,882
$
59,704
Total
16,770
73,361
90,131
(1)
Repurchases are being executed from time to time, subject to general business and market conditions and other investment opportunities, through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, including through Rule 10b5-1 plans. The repurchase program does not have an expiration date. For additional information related to share repurchases, see Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
(2)
Average price paid per share includes costs associated with the repurchases.
ITEM 5.
OTHER INFORMATION
10b5-1 Trading Plans
During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, the following Section 16 director adopted, modified, or
terminated
a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” (as defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act):
•
Frances Arnold
, a member of the
Board of Directors
of Alphabet,
adopted
a trading plan on
July 26, 2024
(with the first trade under the plan scheduled for October 30, 2024). The trading plan will be effective until
November 7, 2025
to sell 50% of the (net) shares resulting from the vesting of 3,345 (gross) shares of Class C Capital Stock, in addition to 50% of the (net) shares of any future grants awarded during the term of the plan.
There were
no “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements” (as defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act) adopted, modified or terminated
during the quarter ended September 30, 2024 by our directors and Section 16 officers. Each of the Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements are in accordance with our Policy Against Insider Trading and actual sale transactions made pursuant to such trading arrangements will be disclosed publicly in Section 16 filings with the SEC in accordance with applicable securities laws, rules, and regulations.
Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
On April 16, 2024, the Leadership Development, Inclusion and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Alphabet approved the accrual of dividend equivalent units to holders of all unvested stock units, subject to the approval of a dividend declaration by the Board of Directors of the company (which was announced
50
on October 29, 2024). As stock units are not outstanding shares of stock and thus would not otherwise be entitled to participate in any dividends (including the one referenced above), the crediting of dividend equivalent units is intended to preserve the equity-based incentives intended by the company when the stock units were granted and to treat the holders of stock units consistently with all stockholders.
Required Disclosure Pursuant to Section 13(r) of the Exchange Act
During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, Google LLC, a subsidiary of Alphabet, filed a notification with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) pursuant to Russian encryption control requirements, which must be complied with prior to the import of covered items. Neither we nor our subsidiaries generated any gross revenues or net profits directly from such activity and neither we nor our subsidiaries sell to the FSB. In the ordinary course of its business, Alphabet expects that Google LLC will continue to file these notifications as required under Russian law.
Inline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
__________________________
♦
Indicates management compensatory plan, contract, or arrangement.
*
Filed herewith.
‡
Furnished herewith.
52
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
ALPHABET INC.
October 29, 2024
By:
/s/ Anat Ashkenazi
Anat Ashkenazi
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
ALPHABET INC.
October 29, 2024
By:
/s/ AMIE THUENER O'TOOLE
Amie Thuener O'Toole
Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer
(We are using algorithms to extract and display detailed data. This is a hard problem and we are working continuously to classify data in an accurate and useful manner.)