Google closes the first nine months of 2026 with profits more than doubled, but the third quarter posts a decline

In the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, Google reports revenue of $3,572.69 billion and net profit of $2,008.55 billion, up 105.55%. In the third quarter alone, profit falls 25.18% and free cash flow turns negative.

The overall picture for the first nine months

According to a report by IT之家, Google has published results for the January-September 2026 period and for the third quarter of the fiscal year. In the first nine months, the company recorded revenue of $3,572.69 billion, up 23.62% year on year, with gross profit of $2,186.36 billion, up 26.94%. Gross margin stands at 61.2%, an improvement of 1.6 percentage points from the previous year.

Net profit attributable to shareholders reached $2,008.55 billion, more than doubling with an increase of 105.55%. Operating cash flow rose 13.21% to $1,271.49 billion. On earnings per share, basic EPS stood at $16.51 (+104.84%) and diluted EPS at $16.33 (+104.38%). Net profit growth is much more pronounced than revenue and gross profit growth, a circumstance the material reports without providing explanations of the items that drove it.

The third quarter: revenue up, profit down

The third quarter alone (July-September 2026) shows revenue of $1,275.77 billion, up 25% year on year and 6.5% from the previous quarter. Gross profit grew 24.9% to $761.58 billion, with a margin of 59.7%, a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points.

Despite these figures, quarterly net profit fell 25.18% to $261.7 billion. Operating cash flow decreased 12.65% to $422.9 billion. The most significant figure concerns free cash flow, which went from a positive value of $244.61 billion to a negative balance of $90.65 billion: the source describes this as a deterioration of about 137.1%. Earnings per share for the quarter were $2.14 (basic) and $2.12 (diluted), down 25.95% and 26.13%, respectively. The debt ratio is given as 32.5%.

A contrast to read with caution

The comparison between the two periods highlights a divergence: cumulative profitability for the nine months is supported by net profit growth exceeding revenue growth, while the most recent quarter shows a contraction in profit and negative free cash flow despite higher revenue. The source material does not clarify which components drove the sharp increase in profit in the nine months, nor which items affected the quarterly decline and the negative free cash flow balance.

IT之家 specifies that the article's contents were generated through automated analysis, do not represent the outlet's position, and that official data should be verified on the mandatory disclosure channels of listed issuers. In the absence of the company's financial statements and management commentary, any reading of the causes therefore remains to be verified: the numbers make it possible to describe the trend, not to explain its causes. The same source notes that the information does not constitute investment advice.

Source and attribution: this original summary was prepared by AICronaca based on the report by IT之家 ↗The statements are attributed to the source; any informational limitations: The material is based on an IT之家 article explicitly stated to have been generated through automated analysis and directs readers to mandatory disclosure channels for official data. The company's press release is not available, nor is a breakdown of the items explaining the growth in profit in the nine months or the quarterly decline, nor indications of the exchange rates used for conversions into yuan. The name used is Google, while some related headlines cited by the source refer to Alphabet.