MAM
Forecast sees big payoff for Google’s mobile ads
MUMBAI: Google will sell more mobile advertising than the rest of its rivals combined for the second straight year, according to a new forecast that highlights the expansion of the internet search leader‘s moneymaking competency from personal computers to smartphones and tablets.
The report released on Thursday by the research firm eMarketer projects Google Inc will generate nearly $8.9 billion in mobile ad revenue throughout the world in 2013. The figure reflects the projected amount that Google will retain after paying commissions to its ad partners.
The prediction calls for Google to hold a 56 per cent share of the overall mobile ad market, which is expected to approach $16 billion this year. In 2012, Google accounted for 52 per cent, or $4.6 billion, of the worldwide mobile ad market, according to eMarketer.
Facebook Inc, the owner of the largest online social network, is expected to rank a distant second in mobile advertising this year with about $2 billion in revenue from phones and tablets, eMarketer predicted. Although still far behind Google, Facebook has been making rapid inroads in the mobile market. Last year, Facebook sold less than $500 million in mobile advertising.
The report marks the first time that eMarketer has released digital ad numbers spanning the entire globe. The firm‘s previous estimates, which are closely watched in the industry, have been confined to the US ad market.
eMarketer‘s figures are intriguing because Google doesn‘t disclose how much of its total ad revenue flows from the rapidly growing ad market. Google‘s success in mobile advertising stems from its ability to establish its internet search engine and other services, such as digital maps, Gmail and the Chrome browsers, as frequently used applications on mobile devices.
The company accomplished that largely by forging a partnership with Apple Inc when that company‘s iPhone came out in 2007. Google then baked its services into Android, a free operating system now running on more than 900 million mobile devices.
Android‘s success transformed Google into a competitive threat to the iPhone and iPad, prompting Apple to dump some of Google‘s services as built-in programs on those devices. But many iPhone and iPad users are still relying on Google products by installing apps on their Apple devices.
Brands
Trent posts Rs 19,701 crore FY26 revenue, profit rises to Rs 1,968 crore
Q4 profit at Rs 455 crore; margins improve, net worth climbs to Rs 7,703 crore
MUMBAI: Retail therapy seems to be working for Trent Limited as much as for its shoppers. The Tata Group retail arm reported a steady performance for FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 19,701.41 crore, up from Rs 16,668.11 crore in FY25. Total income for the year stood at Rs 20,075.87 crore, reflecting continued momentum across its retail formats.
Profit before tax came in at Rs 2,511.54 crore for the year, compared to Rs 2,076.62 crore a year earlier. After accounting for taxes of Rs 543.72 crore, net profit rose to Rs 1,967.82 crore, marking a clear improvement from Rs 1,584.84 crore in FY25.
For the March quarter, the company reported revenue of Rs 4,936.64 crore and total income of Rs 4,997.71 crore. Profit before tax stood at Rs 576.46 crore, while net profit came in at Rs 454.75 crore, up from Rs 349.92 crore in the same quarter last year.
On the cost front, total expenses for FY26 rose to Rs 17,538.54 crore, driven by higher stock purchases of Rs 11,170.44 crore and increased occupancy costs at Rs 1,652.69 crore. Employee benefit expenses also edged up to Rs 1,222.04 crore, reflecting continued expansion.
Operationally, the company maintained stable efficiency metrics. Operating margin improved to 11.88 per cent from 11.29 per cent, while net profit margin rose to 9.99 per cent from 9.51 per cent. The interest service coverage ratio stood strong at 16.76, indicating comfortable debt servicing capacity.
Trent’s balance sheet also strengthened during the year. Net worth increased to Rs 7,702.80 crore from Rs 5,914.40 crore, while total assets expanded to Rs 12,225.71 crore. The debt-to-equity ratio improved to 0.33 from 0.38, signalling a more balanced capital structure.
Cash flow from operations rose to Rs 2,630.19 crore, compared to Rs 1,668.26 crore in the previous year, even as the company continued to invest in expansion, with capital expenditure and investments weighing on investing cash flows.
With consistent growth across revenue, profitability, and margins, Trent’s FY26 performance suggests a retailer scaling steadily ringing up gains not just at the checkout, but across the balance sheet.
