Internet retail giant Amazon.com has unveiled its first net profit, making $5.1m in the three months to December.
The result, after a net loss of $545m in the same quarter a year earlier, ended six years of losses for the most prominent online retailer, and delivered on a promise made by company founder Jeff Bezos.
The profit amount to just one cent per share, but that was far better than Wall Street projections of a loss of seven cents per share.
Amazon sales rose to $1.1bn from $972m in the same period a year earlier. The company said it expected full year 2002 net sales to grow by 10% or more, adding that it expected positive operating cash flow in 2002.
