Google Is a Better Value Than Yahoo.

¶ … Google is a better value than Yahoo. This is because the company is involved in many different segments of the technology marketplace. They have a lower price earnings ratio and price to EBITDA. At the same time, the firm has a larger market capitalization, greater amounts of cash, low levels of debt and a management structure / strategy which are encouraging continuing innovation. In the future, this means that the firm will remain a dominant player inside the marketplace.

The Balance Sheets of Google vs. Yahoo

The balance sheets of Google and Yahoo reveal a number of different factors which are illustrating the financial strength of both firms. In the case of Google, it has a market capitalization of $292 billion, revenues of $53.10 billion, $50.10 billion in cash and $9.7 billion in debt. Moreover, the company has a price to book value of 2.28, a PE ratio of 16.56 and price EBITDA per share of 14.66. ("Google," 2013)

Yahoo has a market capitalization of $29.73 billion, $4.91 billion in revenues, $3.01 billion in cash and $121.47 million in debt. It also has a price to book value of 2.06, a PE ratio of 17.54 and a price to EBITDA per share of 18.75. These figures are showing how both companies have low amounts of debt in comparison with their revenues and they have lots of cash on their balance sheets. ("Yahoo," 2013)

Analysis of Google vs. Yahoo's Balance Sheets

The analysis of Google and Yahoo reveals that Google is a stronger company. This is because the firm has a larger market capitalization, revenues and cash. At the same time, the company has a lower PE ratio and price to EBITDA per share. However, the price to book value is indicating that Google is slightly higher in contrast with Yahoo. ("Google," 2013) ("Yahoo," 2013) (Goodwin, 2013)

This is indicating that Google is the most dominate player inside the sector. As they have more popularity among Internet users. Furthermore, Google has taken their business model to another level with the company becoming actively involved in mobile applications, online videos (via You Tube) and they are creating / marketing their own smart phone known as the Android. Whereas, Yahoo has been experiencing declining user growth and their business has been stagnating. To make matters worse, there have been management shakeups over the last several years with the company switching CEOs several times. This is indicating that Yahoo has been struggling to adapt with changes in the marketplace and evolve with new challenges they are facing from the way people are accessing / utilizing the Internet. ("Google," 2013) ("Yahoo," 2013) (Goodwin, 2013)

A good example of this can be seen by comparing the earnings per share of Google and Yahoo over the last year. In the case of Google, their earnings have gone from $9.03 to $11.58. While Yahoo, has been seeing their earnings ranging from $.27 to $.38. This is indicating that Google has more sources of revenues and the ability to attract a larger demographic of customers. These factors have resulted in the company having dramatically higher earnings. As a result, these changes are reflecting how Google has been able to evolve with shifts in technology and the kinds of applications consumers want to continually utilize. ("Google," 2013) ("Yahoo," 2013) (Goodwin, 2013)

How do these ratios compare with some other retail operations?

When these ratios are compared with other retail operations, it is clear that both companies are in a much strong financial position in contrast to various firms. For instance, McDonalds is one of the most renowned restaurants with a brand name, image and products that are sold around the globe. However, their ratios are much worse in contrast with Google. Evidence of this can be seen with the fact that the company has price to book of 6.05, a PE ratio of 18.58 and price to EBITDA per share 11.06. At the same time, the company has a market capitalization of $100 million, revenues of $27.63 billion, 18.87 billion in cash and $12.08 billion in debt. ("McDonalds," 2013)

These figures are showing how McDonalds is facing considerably more challenges in comparison with Google. This is based on the fact that they have higher valuations and declining earnings. The only lower figure is in the price to EBITDA. This is a sign that the firm is a valuation trap with the price of the stock much higher than the actual earnings can support. ("McDonalds," 2013)

Recent evidence of this can be seen with the fact that McDonald's is reporting a slowdown in sales and they are changing their menus (in order to reflect more value driven consumers). This means that the price of stock does not have any kind of fundamental factors to push it higher. Instead, the company is losing its momentum in these areas and must be forced to restructure. This is indicating that share prices are overvalued with the possibility of near-term corrections taking place. ("McDonalds," 2013) ("McDonald's April Comps Dip," 2013)

When this is compared with Google, it is clear that the firm has a lower PE ratio and price to book value. This is highlighting that they have the possibility of seeing greater long-term capital appreciation in contrast to the price of their stock. These factors mean that Google will more than likely have continued upward momentum. This is based upon their industry and where the shares are sitting in relation to their earnings. ("Google," 2013) ("Yahoo," 2013) (Goodwin, 2013)

Conclusion

Clearly, the best firm to buy is Google. This is because the company has diversified into more technology. That is being utilized by a variety of consumers. Some good examples of this can be seen with the fact that they are dominating the mobile smart phone markets, they are the leader in Internet searches and have numerous properties that place them on the cutting edge (such as: You Tube). ("Google," 2013) ("Yahoo," 2013) (Goodwin, 2013)