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Amazon.com Inc missed Wall Street's estimates for the crucial holiday period and cautioned investors about a possible operating loss this quarter as shipping costs climb, pushing its shares down more than 5 per cent.
Amazon expects operating results for the current quarter to range from a $200 million loss to a $200 million profit, compared with a $181 million profit a year ago.
To cover rising fuel and transport costs, the company is considering a $20 to $40 increase in the annual $79 fee it charges users of its "Prime" two-day shipping and online media service, considered instrumental to driving online purchases of both goods and digital media.
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The company more than doubled net income to $239 million, or 51 cents per share. Analysts had expected 66 cents, on average.
Net sales grew 20 percent to $25.6 billion in the fourth quarter, versus expectations for just above $26 billion and slowing from the 24 percent of the previous three months.
International sales rose just 13 percent, below Wall Street expectations.
