(Telecompaper) Alphabet, the parent company of Google, reported first-quarter sales up 17 percent year-on-year to USD 20.257 billion. Excluding currency effects, revenues rose 23 percent. The company's operating margin was stable at 26 percent, and net profit rose to USD 4.207 billion or USD 6.02 per share from USD 3.515 billion or USD 5.10 a year ago. Google alone, excluding the company's 'other bets', also posted revenues up 17 percent, at USD 20.091 billion, and its operating profit rose to USD 6.272 billion from USD 5.188 billion. The 'other bets' contributed an operating loss of USD 802 million on revenue of USD 166 million. Alphabet collected USD 7.658 billion in operating cash flow in the quarter and spent USD 2.428 billion on capital equipment, leaving it with total cash of USD 75.264 billion at the end of March.