SEATTLE — Web retailer Amazon.com Inc. said its third-quarter profit more than quadrupled as shoppers around the world bought more books, music, electronics and other goods than they did in the same period a year ago.
After pushing shares over $100 in regular trading Tuesday, investors sold heavily after the bell.
Earnings for the quarter ended Sept. 30 skyrocketed to $80 million, or 19 cents per share, from $19 million, or 5 cents per share, during the same period last year.
Revenue climbed 41 percent to $3.26 billion from $2.31 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts predicted $3.14 billion in sales.
Sales on U.S. and Canada sites rose 42 percent in the quarter compared with a year ago, and international sales improved 40 percent. The company said changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter boosted sales by $75 million, accounting for about 3 percent of the overall sales increase.
In North America, sales of electronics, toys, baby items, jewelry, apparel and other “soft goods” rose 54 percent compared with a year ago.
The retailer said it sold 2.5 million copies of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” its biggest new product release, but the company has said it would not make a profit on the title because it offered steep discounts and shipping deals on it.
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