Few multibillion-dollar companies can expect a negative market reaction to a 22 per cent increase in fourth-quarter sales, but then Amazon (US:AMZN) is unique in most regards. Then again, the 4 per cent sell-off that greeted full-year results probably had more to do with a possible $730m (£585m) negative foreign exchange impact on operating income in the current quarter.
The company is showing little sign of slowing down its investment ambitions, as demonstrated by a recent commitment to create "more than 100,000 new, full-time, full-benefit jobs in the US" by mid-2018. Jeff Bezos' bet on Amazon Prime also continues to attract customers, as memberships increased 73 per cent in 2016. This year, consensus estimates are for revenues of $165bn and adjusted EPS of $12.92.
