![Amazon holiday quarter profit doubles](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/b1/50/be/Amazon-holiday-quarter-profit-doubl-224398.jpg)
-
Ledecky edges Titmus in Olympic 400m free heats as Peaty kickstarts campaign
-
Relaxed Peaty begins bid to match Phelps' record
-
Chang, Chen bag Olympic diving gold for China
-
Top China, US diplomats begin meeting in Laos
-
First Olympic medals up for grabs as rain disrupts Games
-
Epic pool rivalry lights up first day of Olympic medal action
-
IOC apologises for South Korea gaffe in Olympics opening ceremony
-
Bangladesh says student leaders held for their own safety
-
Japan's Sado mines added to World Heritage list
-
'Windmill love' sees Dutch artist become mill operator
-
US defends law forcing sale of TikTok app
-
Messi out for defending champ Miami as Leagues Cup begins
-
Australia bans uranium mining at Indigenous site
-
Divers attempt to reach sunken Philippine oil tanker
-
Trump accuses Harris of anti-Semitism in overblown speech
-
Coughlin clings to lead at LPGA Canadian Women's Open
-
Trump offers tech sector policy flips ahead of election
-
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, Moon on path to Jupiter
-
What's the fallout of Mexican drug lords' capture?
-
Video game makers see actors as AI 'data,' says union on strike
-
Chinese qualifier Shang to face Thompson in ATP Atlanta semis
-
'Massive attack' on French rail threatens more chaos
-
'We did it!': France breathes sigh of relief after Olympics ceremony
-
Regional concern grows as Venezuela blocks vote observers
-
Historic river parade, Dion show-stopper ignite Paris Olympics
-
Rainy Paris Olympic parade dampens many spectators' spirits
-
The one of a kind Paris opening ceremony: five memorable moments
-
Justin Timberlake seeks to dismiss DUI case
-
Warner Brothers Discovery sues NBA over Amazon rights deal
-
Kobe Bryant locker, Maradona jersey up for auction in New York
-
Historic river parade launches Paris Olympics
-
New York family of Holocaust victim reclaims Nazi-looted art
-
NASA Mars rover captures rock that could hold fossilized microbes
-
Thousands evacuate season's biggest wildfire in northern California
-
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
-
Lady Gaga adds sparkle to star-studded Olympic show
-
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
-
Teams sail down Seine in rain-soaked Olympics opening ceremony
-
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
-
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
-
Mott's England future uncertain as ECB chief fails to offer support
-
Trump meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Florida
-
S.African police say 95 Libyans detained at suspected military camp
-
Blinken set for talks with Chinese counterpart in Laos
-
Norris heads Piastri in McLaren one-two at Belgian GP practice
-
G20 seeks common ground on taxing super-rich
-
European medicines watchdog rejects new Alzheimer's drug
-
Habib, Ebden eye Alcaraz and Djokovic shocks at Olympics tennis
-
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
-
Two Sinaloa Cartel leaders face US charges after stunning capture
![Amazon holiday quarter profit doubles](https://www.portugalcolonial.pt/media/shared/articles/b1/50/be/Amazon-holiday-quarter-profit-doubl-224398.jpg)
Amazon holiday quarter profit doubles
Amazon on Thursday reported its profit doubled to $14 billion in the recently ended quarter, giving a boost to jittery markets that expected less due to higher labor, sourcing and delivery costs.
The e-commerce colossus said its net sales climbed to $137 billion, and its profit benefited greatly from a return on investment in electric vehicle maker Rivian, which went public in November.
Its shares were up some 14 percent in after-hours trading at 2130 GMT, drawing in investors eager for some good news after shares tanked in Facebook parent Meta.
Amazon has been particularly exposed to the pandemic-driven supply chain headaches, labor churn and inflation that have come to weigh on people's lives and business' ability to make money.
Google parent Alphabet and Apple have posted whopping profits this earnings season, although Facebook was battered by markets -- losing some $200 billion in value -- after disappointing results that cast doubts about its future.
Still, ahead of the results, analysts cautioned that they e-commerce giant is under threat on several fronts.
- Headwinds -
"Amazon is facing more headwinds on Q4 performance than any time in recent memory," said Andrew Lipsman, eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence.
He pointed to the comparison with the final quarter of 2020 when revenue blew past expectations, as well as e-commerce sales somewhat "underperforming."
"Rising labor, supply chain and delivery costs will likely squeeze the bottom line," he added.
Google's parent firm Alphabet announced quarterly profits Tuesday that beat expectations and nearly doubled in 2021 -- after a booming holiday season for the online ads giant facing anti-trust regulation scrutiny.
The Silicon Valley giant's dominance online has powered it to new heights during the pandemic period, but has also left it in the sights of regulators around the world.
Apple reported record $124 billion quarterly revenue on Thursday, despite a global chip pinch and shifting impacts of the pandemic that have weighed down other big tech players.
The supply chain mess that has disrupted the making and delivery of products to consumers is not disappearing, but Apple said it expected less impact in the coming months.
Facebook's parent firm Meta on Thursday plunged over $200 billion in stock value -- comparable to the size of New Zealand's economy -- after weak results.
In addition to costs of big investments on its metaverse vision for the internet and trouble for its core ads business, the firm predicted slower growth and even reported its first dip in daily users globally on the signature Facebook platform.
H.Portela--PC