Google has just released an excellent set of results with profits for Q1 2012 coming in at £1.8 billion, higher than expected, with just over 10% of this revenue coming from their activities here in the UK, the lion's share of 46% coming from the US.

They have also announced a stock split that gives investors two shares for the one they own reducing the investment level from the US$ 600 to half that but one of these will be non voting stock.

This move effectively keeps control of Google in the hands of the founders, Larry Page and Sergey Bin, who have made it very difficult for Google to be taken over and intend to retain control of the company for the long run.