Amazon stock soars as 4Q profit climbs 9 percent.
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) (AMZN) said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit rose 9 percent and beat analysts' forecasts. Those results, plus an optimistic forecast, sent its shares soaring nearly 10 percent in extended trading.
Amazon had called the holiday season its "best ever," and the earnings report backed up the idea that it is not being seriously hurt by cutbacks in consumer spending. Amazon said its revenue in the current quarter should be between $4.53 billion and $4.93 billion, while analysts are expecting $4.57 billion.
