More on AOL: From the Income statement it is surprising to see how low marketing expenses were last quarter! Notice the huge write of that the copsmade them take the second semester of 96 for wrongly capitalizingmarketing expenses. Ignoring this, Marketing related expenses forthat period were 230.9 million it has gone down to 194.7 million in the last half of 97! Traceable to a dramatic decline in marketing expenses in the last quarter of 97: only 96 million versus 151 million the year ago period! Something is BERY BERY FISHY here. Do they really stopped sending out all those CD's out? Are they back to capitalizing marketing expenses?
America Online, Inc. Consolidated Summary of Results (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) Three months ended Six months ended Dec. 31, Dec. 31, ------------------ ------------------ 1997 1996 1997 1996 ------------------ ------------------ (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited)Revenues: Online service revenues $ 483,165 $ 351,220 $ 917,332 $ 662,352 Advertising, commerce and other revenues 108,831 58,192 196,302 97,042 --------- --------- --------- --------- Total revenues 591,996 409,412 1,113,634 759,394 Costs and expenses: Cost of revenues 385,986 261,888 712,987 463,042 Marketing Marketing 96,820 151,834 194,622 230,977 Write-off of deferred subscriber acquisition costs -- -- -- 385,221 Product development 23,632 19,755 39,447 38,339 General and administrative 50,663 29,157 104,974 49,261 Amortization of goodwill 2,161 1,589 3,837 3,509 Restructuring charge -- 48,627 (1,306) 48,627 Settlement charge (1,009) 24,300 (1,009) 24,300 --------- --------- --------- --------- Total costs and expenses 558,253 537,150 1,053,552 1,243,276 Income (loss) from operations 33,743 (127,738) 60,082 (483,882)Other income (expense), net 741 (1,367) 6,068 1,088 --------- --------- --------- --------- Income (loss) before provision for income taxes 34,484 (129,105) 66,150 (482,794) Provision for income taxes (13,716) -- (26,218) -- --------- --------- --------- --------- Net income (loss) $ 20,768 $(129,105) $ 39,932 $(482,794) ========= ========= ========= ========= |