Alphabet pays dividend for the first time - Meta shares fall

Alphabet pays dividend for the first time - Meta shares fall

The quarterly figures of the internet giants from the USA have been published. Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft each recorded double-digit sales increases. Google parent Alphabet benefited from a strong online advertising business, resulting in revenue growth of 15 percent to $80.5 billion. Profit also increased significantly and reached $23.66 billion. Due to these positive figures, Alphabet announced for the first time that it would pay a dividend of 20 cents per share and is also planning a share buyback program worth $70 billion.

Google's advertising revenue continued to form the basis of the business, with YouTube making a significant contribution. Alphabet's cloud division also saw strong growth. In contrast, Meta shares slipped despite the company reporting a 27 percent increase in revenue to $36.5 billion. Microsoft achieved sales of almost $62 billion and profits of almost $22 billion in the third quarter, with growth driven primarily by its Azure cloud division.

Investors reacted differently to the quarterly figures, with Alphabet stocks rising significantly, but Meta stocks losing almost eleven percent of their value. Microsoft also gained after trading. Despite an increase in profits to $12.4 billion in the first quarter, Meta unsettled investors by announcing greater investment needs in artificial intelligence. The group plans to invest $35 to 40 billion in this area this year.