Updating AMAZON.COM and IMPERIAL METALS

Article Excerpt

AMAZON.COM $131.29 (Nasdaq symbol AMZN; SI Rating: Extra Risk) (206-266-1000; www.amazon.com; Shares outstanding: 433.0 million; Market cap: $56.8 billion) reported sharply higher results in the three months ended September 30, 2009. Revenue rose 27.8%, to $5.4 billion from $4.3 billion a year earlier. Earnings jumped 68.6%, to $199 million, or $0.46 a share, from $118 million, or $0.28 a share. That beat the $0.33 a share that analysts were expecting. Amazon’s North American media revenue rose 13% during the quarter. Overall media sales climbed 17%, to $2.9 billion. Revenue from electronics and other general merchandise jumped 44% to $2.4 billion. Revenue in the company’s “other” category, which includes Amazon’s web-services business, rose 25%, to $163 million. The company accounts for sales of its Kindle electronic-book reader in its electronics and general merchandise segment. It includes sales of Kindle books and other content in media sales. The Kindle has become the company’s best-selling item, both in unit and dollar sales. However, it will…