Stifel Resumes Coverage of Google

Earlier today, Stifel released a noted in which it resumed coverage of Google, Inc.

at a Buy rating with a $700 price target. The firm noted, "The company is primarily finding growth in lower-margin segments such as Google Play (Android) and YouTube. However, second quarter results combined with commentary from large search engine marketers highlight to us that the company continues to find a way to drive greater monetization from its high-margin search business through the introduction and improvement of ad units." Looking ahead, Stifel is predicting that Google will post a 12 percent CAGR for revenue through 2024. However, since the growth is largely in lower margin businesses, Stifel estimates the company's gross margin will decline from 60 percent in 2013 to 54 percent in 2024.