Computerworld

Yahoo! back in the black - but only just

Yahoo! Inc. has reported a net income of US$96,000 for the quarter ended Dec. 31, the first time it has turned a profit since the first quarter of 1996. Revenues for the quarter were $8.551 million, compared to $1.075 million a year ago, when Santa Clara, California-based Yahoo! posted a profit of $92,000.

Yahoo! Inc. has reported a net income of US$96,000 for the quarter ended Dec. 31, the first time it has turned a profit since the first quarter of 1996.

Revenues for the quarter were $8.551 million, compared to $1.075 million a year ago, when Santa Clara, California-based Yahoo! posted a profit of $92,000.

For the year ended Dec. 31, the company reported a net loss of $2.3 million, or 9 cents per share, on revenues of $19 million.

Like most other search engine companies, Yahoo! does not charge for its service, and attributed the profit to strong seasonal demand for its advertising space. Its advertiser base increased by about a third, to 550 advertisers, in the fourth quarter, officials said.

Yahoo! claims an average of 20 million user requests per day in December 1996, compared to 15 million per day in September 1996, which it said made it the world's busiest search engine for the fourth consecutive quarter.

The company pledged to continue its policy of extending Yahoo! globally in 1997 rather than focusing on short-term profits. During the fourth quarter, services were launched in France and Germany, adding to its existing presence in Japan, Canada, U.K., Ireland and the U.S.

Yahoo! can be contacted on the Web at www.yahoo.com/.