January 28, 2004
Amazon records first profitable year in its history
Online retailer's fourth quarter net revenue rose 36 percent
Recommend ThisAmazon.com Inc.'s net revenue and net profit both grew healthily in its fourth quarter, ended Dec. 31, 2003, compared with 2002's fourth quarter, and helped the online retailer close 2003 with an annual profit, a first for the company, it announced Tuesday.
The fourth quarter's net revenue rose 36 percent to $1.95 billion. Net profit grew to $73 million, or $0.17 per share, compared with net profit of $3 million, or $0.01 per share, in 2002's fourth quarter.
Excluding one-time charges, Amazon's pro forma net profit was $125 million, or $0.29 per share, meeting the consensus expectation from financial analysts polled by Thomson First Call.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive officer, in a statement credited the company's low prices, free shipping options and wide variety of products for the strong quarterly results.
Viewing the results geographically, Amazon's North American fourth quarter net revenue grew 18 percent year on year to $1.14 billion. Amazon's U.S. and Canadian Web sites make up its North America region. Meanwhile, international net revenue rose 74 percent to $804 million. This includes sales from Amazon's Web sites for the U.K., Germany, France and Japan.
For the full year, net revenue grew 34 percent to $5.26 billion. Net profit came in at $35 million, or $0.08 per share, compared with a net loss of $149 million, or $0.39 per share, in 2002.
Looking ahead, Amazon expects first-quarter 2004 net revenue to be between $1.39 billion and $1.49 billion, an increase of between 28 percent and 38 percent, compared with the first quarter of 2003. For the full year 2004, net revenue is expected to be between $6.20 billion and $6.70 billion.
White Paper
D2D Virtual Tape Library Replication Primer
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
White Paper
An Alternative to Virtualization for Datacenter Cost Savings
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
White Paper
Why Your Firewall, VPN, and IEEE 802.11i Aren't Enough to Protect Your Network
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
White Paper
Bringing the Edge to the Data Center
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
- Upgrading to VMware vSphere with vWire | White Paper
- Removing Barriers To Better Server Virtualization Efficiency | White Paper
- Windows Phones and Unified Communications | White Paper
- Tackling the Top Five Network Access Control Challenges | White Paper
- Opportunities and Challenges with the Convergence of Data Center Networks | White Paper
Sign up to receive Business Resource Alerts
Make IT work as one. Register for Novell BrainShare 2010. Complimentary Energy Efficiency Kit - Cut Energy Costs NowRestrict internet access with GFI WebMonitor™. Now 30% Off! www.gfi.com/web-filterToday’s IT means business. New eBook shows you how to align your IT investments.A new level of interoperability. Make IT Work As One at novell.comLimited-time offer: Save up to $100 on Polycom phones. 64-page prescriptive guide to security, compliance, and IT operations.Learn about Foundations of Green IT, from CTO Marty Poniatowski802.11n Drives an Architectural EvolutionSee IBM CloudBurst's self-service user interface in action
Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back. Get the facts.Analytics: Use your data to drive insights that enable better decisions.See how AT&T can help protect your network. Make IT Work As One at novell.comHP ProLiant G6 Servers. Perform like a superstar, Save like an accountant.HP ProLiant G6 Servers. Perform like a superstar, Save like an accountant.Unified Communications: Thoughts, Strategies and Predictions. Join the discussion.Increase UPS efficiency without sacrificing protectionIn less than 45 minutes, Palisade Systems protects your dataA smarter approach to IT is needed. That smarter approach is IBM CloudBurst.
