Is Google a Good Portfolio Play?

With shares of Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) trading around $1115, is GOOG an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Google is a global technology company focused on improving the ways people engage with information. The business is based on the following areas: search, advertising, operating systems and platforms, and enterprise. The company generates revenue primarily by delivering online advertising. Google is a search giant with most of the market share, largely because of its execution and delivery. An increasing number of consumers and companies worldwide are coming online, which will surely increase the amount of eyes on the company's ads and, in turn, advertising revenue. At this rate, look for Google to remain on top of the Internet world.

Popular lyrics site Rap Genius has been removed from Google search after it was found that Rap Genius was manipulating its links on other webpages against Google's policies, the New York Times reports. A search for Rap Genius now fails to yield a link to the site itself, although its founders have said they are working with Google to make sure their practices fall within the Internet giant's rules.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Google stock has been exploding to the upside in the past several years. The stock is currently trading near all time highs and looks poised to continue. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Google is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Google options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Google options	19.98%	76%	73%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a very significant amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
January Options	Flat	Average
February Options	Flat	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a very significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Google’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Google look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	21.08%	-5.53%	13.60%	17.06%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	11.94%	15.52%	31.23%	24.87%
Earnings Reaction	13.79%	-1.55%	4.43%	5.49%

Google has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been pleased with Google’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Average Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Google stock done relative to its peers, Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), and sector?

	Google	Yahoo	Microsoft	Baidu	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	57.33%	107.30%	38.66%	71.62%	56.87%

Google has been an average performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Google is an Internet giant that provides valuable search and advertising services to a growing user base worldwide. The company has removed Rap Genius lyrics from Google search. The stock has been exploding higher in recent years and is currently trading near all time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising, which has left investors pleased about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its strong peers and sector, Google has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Google to OUTPERFORM.