, Columnist
Alphabet Is a Money-Making Mystery But It Works
Investors can take issue with the tech giant’s paltry insights into its profitable inner workings, but it is a money-making machine.
Google is increasing spending, but on what? Sales gains make it easier for investors not to worry about it.
Photographer: Chris RatcliffeThis article is for subscribers only.
Investors are getting constant reminders that it's not cheap for tech giants to stay on top.
Alphabet Inc. reported on Monday that its third-quarter revenue increased 21.5% from a year earlier, excluding payments to Apple and other partners that carry Google’s ads or funnel web-search traffic to the company. This continued the company's nearly uninterrupted trend of quarterly sales gains of 20% or more — a notable accomplishment for a company with more than $125 billion in yearly revenue.