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April 19 (Bloomberg) - Yahoo! Inc., the most visited U.S. Web portal, sales in the first quarter which exceeded estimates companies intensified their use of Internet advertising. Shares increased by 5.5% in trade towards the end.Excluding sales transmitted to the sites of partners, income was 1.06 billion, Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo, said today in a statement. Analysts had estimated $ 1.05 billion, according to data compiled by leader Bloomberg.Chief Carol Bartz has been buoyant for advertising such as banners and videos demand as Yahoo sites attract more visitors. U.S. users grew 15 percent to 179.5 million in March of the period of the previous year, placing Yahoo before millions of > 176.8 No. 2 Google Inc., according to the results alleviated by Yahoo Inc. of ComScore concern which arose in January after its forecast disappointed investors. "This gives him certainly some breathing room,"said Kerry Rice, an analyst for Wedbush Securities Inc. in Los Angeles. He rates the stock "underperform" and is not the owner. "This keeps investors on the line."Yahoo has increased as much as $88 cents to 17 in extended trade. The shares fell by 3.1% this year, had closed at $ 16.12 more early on estrogen that Nasdaq Stock Market.Quarter ForecastSales will be 1.08 billion $ 1.13 billion in the second quarter, the company said. In the middle of this range correspond to $ 1.1 billion expected by analysts.Net profit for the first quarter due to the company fell to 223 million, or 17 cents per share, Yahoo actual million, or 22 cents, said. Unique benefits a year earlier represented for some of the decline of. Excluding certain items, Yahoo had earnings of 19 cents per share, estimating average 16 cents in mind.Yahoo sales have dropped the company unloads businesses, farms on a large part of its research activities and refocuses on the most effective Web sites. At the same time, it sells ads to display more. Excluding revenue shared with the partners, advertising sales sites display climbed 10 percent in the last quarter to $ 471 million. "" Our time is right to proceed as scheduled, "Tim Morse, Chief Financial Officer, said in an interview. "We are confident that we have towards in the right direction.".Improvements of the quarter SeenDuring, Web engagement of visitors on the site showed some improvements. Page views on the properties of Yahoo media, including the home page, increased by 8% in the quarter after declining in the past months, the company said. Time spent on these properties increased by 17%. Again, page views on communications and communities, including Yahoo mail and its "groups" of service, courier fell 6 percent and time spent fell 10 percent.Yahoo strives to maintain its role as a page at once high Internet portal when more users are moving towards social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter Inc.. Under Bartz, who became CEO in January 2009, the company has pared down its workforce to make the most effective of Yahoo. Earlier this year he announced his intention to cut approximately 1% of its staff, following a decision to eliminate approximately 4%, or about 600 jobs, in December.Bartz also concluded an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to use its technology research on Yahoo sites. Under the agreement, Yahoo has moved to its platform of research-marketing for Microsoft System, called AdCenter advertisers. Companies have begun moving in October with the Canada and U.S.AdCenter PauseThe society be held offshore on more than the implementation of the part of search-advertising of the agreement until Microsoft improves the performance of its AdCenter platform, which was a disappointment as this, said Bartz, who met personally responsible for said Microsoft.Bartz that it is confident Microsoft, which is the guarantee of revenue for Yahoo during the transition, will be address "issues" with the platform. "Overall, she said that the results of the quarter showed its relief efforts the company"."We continue to make progress on our plan to increase profitability and revenue growth," said Bartz. "We rise of engagement and monetization it.".Microsoft has expanded its share of the US market research for eight straight months, up 13.9% in March, while Yahoo spent last month to 15.7% to 16.1% the previous month, according to ComScore based in Reston, Virginia. Google retains more than twice the market share of the combined companies, with 65.7%.Yahoo has also held talks to dispose of its participation in Yahoo Japan, an Internet gateway company, two people familiar with the issue, said last month. Yahoo is co-owner of the joint venture based in Tokyo with Softbank Corp..-Editor: Donna Alvarado, Stephen West
To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Womack in San Francisco at bwomack1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles to the tgiles5@bloomberg.net
