Google's fourth-quarter earnings edged up 7 percent to surpass analyst estimates even though the average price for the company's Internet search ads declined and its recently acquired Motorola Mobility operations suffered a big loss.
The results announced Tuesday showed Google Inc. is attracting more advertising, extending the run of prosperity that the company has enjoyed since it went public in 2004. Google's fourth-quarter ad revenue rose 19 percent from the previous year.
PROBLEM AREAS: The average price for Google's search advertising fell 6 percent from the previous year and Motorola Mobility posted an operating loss of $353 million.
