Amazon shares rallied in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company posted a big earnings beat for the fourth quarter, helped by its invesment in electric vehicle company Rivian. Earnings per share stood at $5.80, significantly higher than the expected $3.57. But sales numbers were weaker-than-expected, and the guidance was disappointing. In fact, fourth-quarter sales grew 9.4%, Amazon's first period of single-digit growth since 2017. Despite this, shares popped as much as 14% in extended trading, as Amazon disclosed revenue from its fast-growing advertising business for the first time as well as a gain of almost $12 billion from its investment in Rivian.
For more on Amazon earnings, Susannah Streeter joined us. She is an investment analyst at Hargreaves Landsdown in Bristol.
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