Alphabet (GOOGL) and TSLA (TSLA) Earnings – Contrasting Results

Following the close of the second quarter for 2025, Google parent Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) have delivered contrasting earnings reports, resulting in divergent reactions from investors.

Alphabet reported a strong second quarter, beating Wall Street's expectations on both the top and bottom lines, driven by robust performance in its advertising and cloud computing businesses. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $2.31, surpassing the anticipated $2.17. Revenue, excluding traffic acquisition costs (TAC), reached $81.2 billion, exceeding expectations of $79.6 billion. 

Google's advertising business saw strong growth, with revenue topping $71.34 billion, a 10.4% jump year-over-year. Google's core advertising business also saw strong growth, with search revenue topping $54.1 billion, a 11.7% jump from the year ago quarter. YouTube advertising revenue also performed well, hitting $9.8 billion vs. $8.7B last year, a 12.6% jump. Google Cloud Platform demonstrated strong growth, reaching $13.6 billion in revenue, a growth rate of 31.6% from last year’s level.

The company announced an increase in its capital expenditures forecast for 2025 to $85 billion, up from the previously projected $75 billion. This increase is attributed to the strong demand for its cloud products and services and investments in AI infrastructure. 

Despite the increased spending, Alphabet shares are reacting positively, rising 3% in premarket trading on Thursday following the report. Google's robust performance across its diverse business segments and its commitment to investing in future growth areas like AI suggest a positive outlook for the company. However, the increased spending might raise questions about profitability and efficiency in the short term.

In contrast, Tesla's (TSLA) second-quarter earnings report showed mixed results, with the stock off about 6% this morning. Tesla reported a slight miss on analyst estimates for both adjusted EPS at $0.40 and revenue at $22.5 billion. Revenue saw a 12% decline year-over-year, its steepest in at least a decade. The decline in revenue is attributed to lower sales of the company's core models and increased competition in the EV market.

Adding to the uncertainty, CEO Elon Musk warned of "a few rough quarters" ahead, citing the impact of the expiration of the U.S. EV tax credit and evolving autonomous vehicle regulations. The news caused Tesla shares to slide about 6% in premarket trading on Thursday. Tesla stated they are making progress preparing for launch of additional models this year. 

Musk also stated that they aim for robotaxis to reach half of U.S. population this year. He has a history of hyping such ambitions that don’t play out along their time frame. Tesla says it is making improvements with its FSD software and is working to "unblock" regulations in China. 

The contrasting earnings reports highlight the different stages of growth and the unique challenges faced by these two leading technology and automotive companies in the current market environment. Investors will be watching closely to see how both companies navigate the coming quarters and whether Google can maintain its strong growth trajectory while Tesla can successfully execute its ambitious plans for future product launches and autonomous driving technologies.