Google Has a Great Q4 but Suffers at Hands of Secret Society of Whispers

When you’re Google, having a great quarter is not good enough. Apparently, there’s a secret society of Wall Street Analysts that quietly hold Google to a higher standard, says MarketWatch:

However, several analysts maintained their bullish long-term view in the wake of the report, noting that Google missed higher "whisper" numbers even though it handily beat Wall Street’s consensus.

Those whisper numbers meant that Google’s share price is currently drifting 3%, with Google executives likely staring at their stock portfolio wondering what the heck just happened. After all, Google saw net income rise to $1.97 billion in the December quarter, compared with $382 million, earned in the same period a year earlier. Net revenue hit $4.95 billion–beating the target of $4.92 billion Google thought Wall Street was seeking.

Now, here’s something you probably don’t know. All of these numbers can be, let’s say, "massaged." Google likely structured its Q4 numbers to just beat analysts predictions, while keeping some back in reserve for Q1 of 2010. In other words, had Google known about the secret society of whispers, it probably could have topped their estimates too.

Want more? Google took the unprecedented step of airing its Q4 earnings call on YouTube:

PS. Eric, you might find Wall Street treats you a little kinder, if you had a better grasp of your company’s projections. When asked if YouTube will make a profit this year, "I’d assume so, yes," hardly instills confidence.