Amazon Earnings – First Quarter 2019
As the world’s largest retailer, Amazon is a major force in the technology industry. The company’s products range from e-commerce to cloud computing and digital streaming. It has been called an influential economic force and one of the most valuable brands. The company has also pledged to help facilitate $20 billion in cumulative exports by 2025.
Revenue increased 7% year over year
Amazon’s first-quarter revenue rose 7% year over year, and 9% in constant currency, bringing its total revenue to $116.4 billion. This was right in line with expectations and near the top end of its guidance range. Sales grew in North America by 8%, while sales in Amazon Web Services were up 37%. However, sales in international markets fell by 6%.
Operating income shrank to $3.3 billion
After generating seven-figure profits in the last fiscal year, Amazon’s operating income fell to $3.3 billion in the most recent quarter. The company lost money in two major segments of the business: online retail and advertising. Its overall operating income was down 12% compared to the same period last year. The company said its demand for goods increased in June. However, the company also faced macroeconomic pressures, including soaring inflation and slowing consumer discretionary spending.
Amazon pledges to enable $20 billion in cumulative exports by 2025
Amazon has set a goal to export $20 billion of locally produced goods from India by 2025. The company began its export program in India in 2015 and has already reached the $1 billion milestone. It has also increased its exports to India by more than two-fold in the last 17 months. Amazon also says it has over 100,000 exporters and a pledge to enable $20 billion of cumulative exports by 2025.
Amazon’s investment in Rivian shares plunged 68% year over year
Amazon’s investment in Rivian shares plummeted 68% year over year as it struggled to make a profit. The company, which was valued at $90 billion last November, is the second-largest shareholder. In addition to investing in the company, Amazon has board representation from the company. Rivian is a startup that offers a driver experience in New York City and Boston.
Amazon’s cloud business is key to future
In the first quarter of 2019, Amazon’s cloud business grew 36.5% year over year, which was still higher than its nearest competitor, Microsoft Azure, which grew by 36.9%. Nonetheless, this slowed down from the 39.5% growth the company saw in the fourth quarter, and analysts are worried that Amazon’s cloud business may not grow as fast as the industry is expecting.
Amazon’s LGBTQIA+ program
The Human Rights Campaign recently released its Corporate Equality Index 2022, and Amazon was named one of the best companies to work for when it comes to LGBTQ+ equality. The organization gave Amazon a perfect score, putting it above many of the world’s largest companies. It is not the first company to receive such a high score, but the company is consistently on top when it comes to equality.
Amazon’s ad business is a bright spot
Amazon’s ad business is arguably one of the brightest spots in its overall performance. The company has spent the past quarter expanding its advertising offerings. This includes testing attribution methods, creating new APIs for its Amazon Advertising Platform, and letting marketers manage their programmatic campaigns. It also changed its accounting standards in January, moving some ad revenue to the “other revenue” line item. The bulk of this line item, however, is still made up of ad sales.
