Amazon fourth quarter figures disappoint

Shares in online retailer Amazon were poised for a sharp fall today after disappointing with its performance over the Christmas trading season.

Operating income rose 1% to $165m (€136.6m) in the fourth quarter, even though sales rose by an underlying 22% to $2.98bn (€2.5bn) – below US market hopes for a figure above £3bn (€2.5bn).