Acquisitions are 'back on' says Google CEO

Google, facing slowing growth amid a slump in advertising spending, is again considering acquisitions, CEO Eric Schmidt said.

"Acquisitions are back on," Schmidt, 54, said in an interview at an event in Pittsburgh this week. His company had more than $19 billion in cash and short-term investments at the end of its most recent quarter.

Schmidt's comments suggest Google's business is improving, giving the company confidence to spend on purchases, said Jeff Lindsay, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein in New York.

Google, the world's most popular Internet search engine, has relied on smaller acquisitions since buying DoubleClick for $3.2 billion in 2008 and YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006.

"It's definitely a sign that Google is seeing stronger cash flow," said Lindsay, who recommends buying the stock and doesn't own it. "In the down economy all of the Internet players, including Google, cut back on capital expenditures to preserve cash flow."

Google typically buys 10 to 12 companies a year, Lindsay said. The company acquires smaller rivals, including startups, to boost its technology development, he said.

This month, Google bought ReCaptcha, a company that helps prevent fraud and spam at Web sites such as Ticketmaster.com, for an undisclosed sum. In August, it agreed to buy video-technology company On2 Technologies for $106.5 million.

Google reported a sales gain of 2.9 percent last quarter — down from 39 percent a year earlier — as ads fetched lower prices and the recession crimped marketing budgets.

The company is also facing increasing competition from main rivals Yahoo and Microsoft, which agreed to combine their search businesses in July.

Google may buy wireless-technology providers and so-called cloud-computing companies to supplement its product lines, said Jim Friedland, an analyst at Cowen in New York.

The purchases might range from $10 million to $75 million, said Friedland, who rates the stock "buy" and doesn't own it.

Cloud-computing services let customers store and access data over the Internet.

Agencies