Growth Talk Gooses Yahoo!

Going forward, Yahoo! is raising its full-year revenue estimate from a range of $900 million to $940 million to a range of $930 million to $955 million. Before the call, analysts were predicting $926 million in revenue for the year.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and stock compensation expense, says Yahoo!, will amount to $190 million to $200 million for the year, up from the $140 million to $165 million range the company gave three months ago.

Yahoo!'s implied fourth-quarter revenue forecast of $263 million to $288 million surpasses analysts' current expectations of $267 million.

Giving specific 2003 guidance for the first time, the company projected revenue of between $1.075 billion and $1.175 billion, and EBITDA of between $250 million and $300 million. Chief Financial Officer Sue Decker, characterizing that as a 20% increase in revenue and 40% increase in EBITDA, says the company will be a year early in achieving the 20%-30% EBITDA margin originally forecast for 2004.

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