Shares in Google rose strongly yesterday after it posted a near sixfold increase in quarterly profits on Thursday night.

The results, which surpassed most Wall Street targets, reflected rapid growth in advertising. Google shares were up 6.5 per cent by mid day yesterday at €217.5.

Google's first-quarter net income rose to $369.2 million (€282.9 million), or $1.29 a share, from $64.0 million, or 24 cents a share, a year earlier.

Profit from the most recent quarter included a $49 million charge for stock-based compensation. Gross revenue nearly doubled to $1.26 billion from $651.6 million.

More consumers clicked on its search ads, more advertisers moved to the web in the United States and abroad, and company costs fell, Google said.

Best known for its Google.com site, the Mountain View, California-based company also provides e-mail, driving directions and web logs as well as search services for images, news and shopping.

It employs more than 100 people at an operations centre in Dublin.