Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) hit $600, the latest of a long series of hurdles that skeptics including yours truly didn't think was possible. It's only a matter of time before they move even higher.

The company continues to chug along even in volatile markets. The stock is up about 30% year to date, eclipsing rival Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), which gained 9% during the same period, and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), which is little changed.

Interestingly, the stock didn't stay at $600 for too long, hitting a psychological barrier. Last I checked, the shares traded at $596.65. I think investors will soon get over their unease and push the stock even higher.

The question is how high? What's the next hurdle for Google? Is it $700? $800? $1000? Henry Blodget recently upset the Internet establishment by arguing that Google could reach $2,000 over the next few decades. Why stop there?

Will Google's stock ever top Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) which now trades at the princely sum of $120,800? I am not sure if this will ever happen but the possibility is certainly intriguing. The company reports earnings October 18.

No doubt the faithful are waiting on pins and needles until then.

What's Google's (GOOG) next hurdle? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

McClatchy Co. (NYSE: MNI), the newspaper chain that bough Knight-Ridder, has decided to abandon its online sales partnership with The Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB) and Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI) to join a similar venture [subscription] put together by Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO).

The Yahoo! project already has 250 papers from companies like Hearst. The papers will use Yahoo! search and its text ads, which may help it in its market share battle with Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

As a large online marketer of advertising, Yahoo! is in a better position to help the newspapers, or so the theory goes. Meanwhile, efforts by Google in the newspaper and radio sales business have not gone well.

However, newspapers are desperate. With dropping circulation numbers and falling ad lineage, they need their online business to fill in the revenue hole. McClathcy's stock is down about 35% this year and trades near its 52-week low at $31.57.

The deal with Yahoo! may not work, but the newspaper industry is running out of choices.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

Yahoo! steals a customer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.