For its third quarter ended September 30, 2015, net sales at the world’s biggest online retailer Amazon soared 23 per cent over the same quarter of 2014. “Net sales surged 23 per cent to $25.4 billion in the third quarter of 2015 compared with $20.6 billion in third quarter of 2014,” Amazon said in a press release. “Excluding the $1.3 billion unfavourable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales drove up 30 per cent,” the online retailer added. Operating income in the reporting quarter stood at $406 million versus operating loss of $544 million in the comparable quarter of the prior year. In the quarter under review, net income amounted to $79 million or $0.17 per diluted share compared with net loss of $437 million or $0.95 per diluted share in the same quarter of earlier year. Operating cash flow rose steeply by 72 per cent to $9.8 billion for the trailing twelve months as against $5.7 billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2014. Free cash flow too increased massively to $5.4 billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2015 vis-à-vis $1.1 billion. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 489 million on September 30, 2015, compared with 481 million one year ago. For the fourth quarter of 2015, Amazon expects net sales to be between $33.50 billion and $36.75 billion, or grow between 14 per cent and 25 per cent as against the fourth quarter of 2014. Amazon further added that operating income is forecast to be between $800 million and $1.28 billion, compared to $591 million in 2014’s fourth quarter. “This guidance includes approximately $620 million for stock-based compensation and amortisation of intangible assets,” Amazon added “The guidance assumes, among other things, that no additional business acquisitions, investments, restructurings and that there are no further revisions to stock-based compensation estimates,” it explained.
