Internet search leader Google (GOOG) remains on the cutting edge, making deals with various web properties and content companies. After locking up an exclusive advertising pact with MySpace, reports indicate the company could partner with, or buyout online video leader YouTube for as much as $1.6 billion. While many people will argue whether or not the potential price tag is too high, investors need to realize that forking over a few billion to secure two of the Internet's most visited sites is chump change for Google.

With $10 billion in cash and a very strong stock price to use as currency for deals, trading 1% or 2% of their company for these deals is merely a drop in the bucket. Not only will these deals allow Google to maintain impressive growth rates in its U.S. business, but it further widens the gap between them and the competition. Today's announcement of a deal with Warner Music and Sony BMG to distribute fee music videos is yet another example of how Google is leading the way in online content innovation and the advertising that will undoubtedly support such initiatives.

With Yahoo's stock stagnant and Google shares jumping again today, I just checked out my long Google/short Yahoo paired trade to see where we stand now that Yahoo has fallen from 32 to 25 and Google has jumped from 403 to 428. Despite the postitive return from the trade thus far, Google still trades at a discount to Yahoo on projected 2007 earnings per share (33 times versus 39 times). As a result, I am keeping the trade on for now.