Friday, February 24, 2006

Henry Blodget on Google - Really!

That got your attention, didn't it? Well, it's true - he's B - A - C - K - but he's NOT making recommendations. There are rules to follow of course, for both the good guys and the bad guys.

So, long time IP colleague/hedge fund manager/cool urbanite/Gibson-playing guy Cody Willard, sent me this earlier in the week.

Last week, the Financial Times published a roundtable discussion about Google. Titled "Where is Google Going?", it featured Cody, Henry Blodget, investment advisor Jeff Matthews, and FT columnist Stephen Schurr.

It's a good read, and Cody certainly holds his own. He's been holding Google from Day 1, and remains bullish. He feels they're well positioned to compete with all IM-based comers, and if they hold their ground, there's a lot of upside to come.

The overall view is that Microsoft is a bit late to the game, and they need to work hard to protect their franchise, as their competitors have stronger search products, as well as content to generate revenues.

And let's not forget about all the dark fiber Google has, as well as their WiFi initiatives, esp the latest with Earthlink.

That said, the panel does point out the risks of depending too much on their advertising model for revenues. As this space becomes more competitive it's difficult to see how Google can sustain its growth to keep earnings strong. Mobile search is really virgin territory, but it's huge - so that could be the engine to keep the growth coming, but it's too early to tell if consumers will really get into searches on tiny handheld screens.

Henry Blodget doesn't say very much, but his comments are insightful, and if taken at face value, you'd want to hear more from him. For those who wish to do so, check out his blog here.

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