Google is the tech stock investors want to bring home to meet mom and dad.
The leader in Internet search, Google (GOOG) has more than 60% of worldwide market share, according to Morningstar. No other competitor has even 10%.
This domination of the search business makes Google a magnet for advertising dollars. Its various other products, such as Gmail, Chrome and Google Maps, make it even more attractive.
Google has also been expanding its mobile platform, activating a million Android devices per day. However, the company has yet to turn a significant profit from mobile advertising.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government's two-year antitrust probe into Google ended in January without a settlement or even so much as a wrist-slap.
Google's stock is trading near its all-time high amid hope that the company may be nearing a settlement in a separate antitrust probe by European regulators. Antitrust laws are stricter in Europe, where Google has 90% of the search market cornered.
With the stock at such lofty levels, Google executive chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt recently disclosed plans to sell up to 3.2 million shares, worth $2.5 billion.
