Google's first-quarter profit climbed 30%, earning $1.31 billion, or $4.12 per share, during the first three months of the year. That compared with $1 billion, or $3.18 per share, in the first quarter of 2007. If not for expenses to cover stock given its employees, Google said it would have made $4.84 per share.

Analysts, on average, projected $4.52 per share.

According to Kedrosky's twitter feed..."only really anomalous number I can find in google release is capex of $842-million. wtf are these guys building? to put google capex in context, they spent as much this quarter as in their entire 2005. more moonbase -- i mean, capex -- spending coming in future, according to george on call.

The stock skyrocketed in after hours over $50, 11% in after-hours trading. This was the 12th quarter out of 15 since Google went public that its performance has topped analyst expectations!