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Alphabet Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 18% in the quarter: Quarterly revenue was $113.8 billion, up 18% (17% in constant currency) from $96.5 billion a year earlier, with growth in Google Services and Google Cloud. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 31% to $2.82: Net income rose 30% to $34.5 billion, and diluted EPS rose 31% to $2.82 from $2.15 a year earlier. Other income added to the result, as covered below. Source
  • Google Services revenue up 14%: Services revenue reached $95.9 billion. Search & other grew 17% to $63.1 billion, subscriptions, platforms, and devices grew 17% to $13.6 billion, and YouTube ads grew 9% to $11.4 billion. Source
  • Google Cloud revenue up 48%: Cloud revenue reached $17.7 billion, with operating income of $5.3 billion against $2.1 billion a year earlier. Management cited enterprise AI Infrastructure and enterprise AI Solutions as drivers. Source
  • Gemini tokens and app users grew: Direct API use by customers reached over 10 billion tokens per minute for first-party models such as Gemini. The Gemini app passed 750 million monthly active users. Source
  • Waymo charge lifted research spend: Research and development expense rose to $18.6 billion from $13.1 billion. The $2.1 billion Waymo charge was primarily recorded there, based on estimated stock valuation. Source
  • Free cash flow of $24.6 billion: Free cash flow was $24.6 billion in the quarter and $73.3 billion on a trailing twelve-month basis, after purchases of property and equipment of $27.9 billion in the quarter. Source
  • Waymo funding round of $16 billion: In February 2026, Waymo announced an investment round of $16.0 billion, with Alphabet funding the significant majority. Source

“It was a tremendous quarter for Alphabet and annual revenues exceeded $400 billion for the first time.”

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Capital expenditures Source2026$175 billion to $185 billionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: A 2026 capital expenditure range of $175 billion to $185 billion was given. The prior release gave only a 2025 range. Source
  • New: Waymo announced an investment round of $16.0 billion in February 2026, with Alphabet funding the significant majority. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 18% in the quarter: Quarterly revenue was $113.8 billion, up 18% (17% in constant currency) from $96.5 billion a year earlier, with growth in Google Services and Google Cloud. Source
  • Operating margin was 31.6%: Operating income rose 16% to $35.9 billion, with operating margin of 31.6% against 32% a year earlier. The Waymo compensation charge is covered under costs. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 31% to $2.82: Net income rose 30% to $34.5 billion, and diluted EPS rose 31% to $2.82 from $2.15 a year earlier. Other income added to the result, as covered below. Source

Segments and regions

  • Google Services revenue up 14%: Services revenue reached $95.9 billion. Search & other grew 17% to $63.1 billion, subscriptions, platforms, and devices grew 17% to $13.6 billion, and YouTube ads grew 9% to $11.4 billion. Source
  • Google Cloud revenue up 48%: Cloud revenue reached $17.7 billion, with operating income of $5.3 billion against $2.1 billion a year earlier. Management cited enterprise AI Infrastructure and enterprise AI Solutions as drivers. Source
  • Other Bets operating loss widened: Other Bets revenue was $370 million. Its operating loss was $3.6 billion, against $1.2 billion a year earlier. Source
  • United States and Asia-Pacific growth: United States revenue rose 17% to $55.4 billion. Asia-Pacific rose 22% to $18.5 billion, or 23% in constant currency. EMEA rose 17% to $33.1 billion, or 12% in constant currency. Source

“We’re seeing our AI investments and infrastructure drive revenue and growth across the board.”

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google

Products, AI usage and subscriptions

  • Search usage above prior levels: Pichai said Search usage was higher than ever before, with AI continuing to drive what he called an expansionary moment. Source
  • Gemini tokens and app users grew: Direct API use by customers reached over 10 billion tokens per minute for first-party models such as Gemini. The Gemini app passed 750 million monthly active users. Source
  • YouTube revenue passed $60 billion: YouTube revenue across ads and subscriptions exceeded $60 billion for full-year 2025, as management stated in the release. Source

Costs, margins and operating expenses

  • Waymo charge lifted research spend: Research and development expense rose to $18.6 billion from $13.1 billion. The $2.1 billion Waymo charge was primarily recorded there, based on estimated stock valuation. Source
  • Cost of revenues rose to $45.8B: Cost of revenues rose to $45.8 billion from $40.6 billion. Total traffic acquisition costs were $16.6 billion, against $14.8 billion a year earlier. General and administrative expense rose to $5.3 billion from $4.4 billion. Source
  • Depreciation rose to $6.0 billion: Depreciation of property and equipment rose to $6.0 billion from $4.2 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Headcount rose to 190,820: The number of employees was 190,820, up from 183,323 a year earlier. Source

“The launch of Gemini 3 was a major milestone and we have great momentum.”

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow of $24.6 billion: Free cash flow was $24.6 billion in the quarter and $73.3 billion on a trailing twelve-month basis, after purchases of property and equipment of $27.9 billion in the quarter. Source
  • 2025 capex within the prior range: Full-year 2025 purchases of property and equipment were $91.4 billion, within the $91 billion to $93 billion range given in the prior release.
  • Senior notes raised $24.8 billion: Alphabet issued senior unsecured notes in November 2025 for net proceeds of $24.8 billion. Long-term debt rose to $46.5 billion from $10.9 billion at December 31, 2024. Source
  • Buybacks slowed in the quarter: Repurchases of stock totaled $5.5 billion in the quarter, against $15.6 billion a year earlier. Full-year repurchases were $45.7 billion. Source

Strategy, investments and other income

  • Waymo funding round of $16 billion: In February 2026, Waymo announced an investment round of $16.0 billion, with Alphabet funding the significant majority. Source
  • Alphabet-level AI research costs rose: Alphabet-level activities, which cover shared AI research and development, lost $5.9 billion against $2.8 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Equity gains lifted other income: Other income was $3.2 billion against $1.3 billion a year earlier. A $2.3 billion gain on equity securities added $0.15 to diluted EPS, after a $483 million increase in the tax provision. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 February 2026

  • Dividend payable March 16, 2026: The $0.21 quarterly cash dividend is payable March 16, 2026 to holders of record as of March 9, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Google Cloud annual run rate Sourceover $70 billion
Paid subscriptions across consumer services Sourceover 325 million

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Changes in the value of investments can move other income materially in future periods, according to management. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.