Analysts from Wedbush, J.P. Morgan, and Bank of America predict that Google’s advancements in artificial intelligence will positively impact its second-quarter earnings. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is scheduled to announce its earnings on Tuesday.
Bank of America analysts Justin Post and Nitin Bansal have upgraded their revenue forecasts for Google, attributing potential sales growth to the company’s incorporation of its Gemini AI into Google Cloud and the introduction of AI Overviews in Google Search. They expressed optimism in a recent research note, stating that increased integration of AI across Google’s services is likely to enhance activity in its core Search business—despite some initial challenges with the AI Overviews, which encountered some public criticism for inaccuracies.
In April, Google reported a remarkable 60% surge in profits for the first quarter, largely credited to its AI innovations. This strong performance led to a significant rise in its stock price, pushing its market capitalization beyond $2 trillion, joining tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia.
The company’s successful first quarter followed a series of new AI product launches under its Gemini AI suite. Notable announcements made during the Google I/O developer conference included plans for a universal AI assistant that could interact with users through smart glasses. Google claims the latest version of Gemini AI operates 20% faster than the most recent ChatGPT.
While Wedbush analyst Dan Ives expressed more caution regarding the immediate impact of AI Overviews compared to his peers, he acknowledged the potential for Search monetization benefits over time. Additionally, Ives indicated that AI is already driving growth in Google Cloud, anticipating a 27% increase in Cloud revenue year-over-year.
J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth shared a similarly bullish outlook, naming Google among their top tech stock picks last week due to “encouragement by GenAI progress” leading into the second-quarter earnings announcement. Conversely, Raymond James analyst Josh Beck cautioned that while the current outlook for Google regarding AI appears positive, the long-term effects on sales remain to be seen.