| Updated:
Amazon enjoys strong Christmas
Amazon.com blew past Wall Street profit estimates yesterday in its closely watched holiday quarter and forecast revenue for early 2010 that topped Wall Street expectations. The online retailer – which sells everything from books to barbecues while offering a host of services to businesses and Web developers – has been viewed as a winner of a fiercely competitive 2009 holiday season. Fourth-quarter net profit jumped 71 per cent to $384m (£238m), or 85 cents per share, from $225m, or 52 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales rose 42 per cent to $9.52bn – above the $9.04bn expected by Wall Street.