Google Profits Jump 32% on Soaring Ad Sales

Google said Thursday that its net income jumped 32 percent to beat Wall Street’s expectations.

That’s despite adding 1,500 workers in the quarter and spending more than four times as much on data centers and other equipment compared with a year ago.

Shares of Google jumped nearly 8 percent, to $582.80, in extended trading after the release of results.

Google sold ads at higher rates to advertisers than a year ago, and more Web surfers clicked on those ads.

For July through September, the Web search leader’s net income rose to $2.2 billion, or $6.72 per share, from $1.6 billion, or $5.13 per share.

Excluding certain expenses, Google earned $7.64, topping the $6.69 analysts expected.

Revenue rose 23 percent to $7.3 billion. After subtracting commissions paid to its ad partners, Google’s revenue stood at $5.5 billion, about $200 million more than analysts predicted, according to a Thomson Reuters survey.

Before the release of results, shares closed down $2.37 at $540.93.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)