It's about time. Google
Google had gotten off to a blazing start in its brief public life, until it finally let the market down with a negative earnings surprise for its December quarter. That came after the country's most valuable online company had blown the market away in its first five reports as a public company. Investors got nervous. Shares that had peaked at a little more than $475 began to dip into the $300s. This was still a substantial return for lucky investors who got in at the $85 IPO back in August 2004.
Over the past year, as various firms in the S&P were acquired or succumbed to fiscal irrelevance, an index-worthy Google had been passed over for a spot in the 500-room inn in favor of companies such as Lennar
Come on in, Google. Mind your head on the way in. Act like you belong here, because -- well -- you do.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz is a huge fan of Google; if not for Fool.com, it would be his home page. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.