Amazon: the mystery of the missing billion – Handelsblatt

Fund Manager to Amazon-Pay: Therefore investors have a negative impact on the Amazon papers responsive

San FranciscoIt was a dismal Christmas quarter, for the traditional US retail. Target, J. C. Penny, Macy’s or Kohl’s – pay the list of the companies with disastrous quarter, did not want to end in January.

And while the closure of the store is due to local and large shopping malls in the suburbs to their future, trepidation, all eyes turned to Amazon: This will be the big profiteer, exulted analysts. To 25 percent of the revenue will grow in the Christmas quarter, at least, they expected, Amazon spoke of the “best holiday quarter ever”.

But on Thursday came the cold shower: The sales increased by 22 per cent, ended up with 43,74 billion dollars, however, significantly lower than the of 44.68 billion dollars, Reuters surveyed analysts had expected. Amazon’s chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky made in the analysts call, especially an unexpected negative Currency impact of almost $ 800 million for the deviation of well over a billion dollars.

quarterly report: Amazon surprises with profit leap

Amazon has made in the fourth quarter, more profit than analysts had expected. Also the sales continues to rise. However, on the stock exchange, the share price falls, because a lot of disappointed investors, despite all of this. more…

But that was not the only disappointment. Also Amazon’s forecast for the sales in the current quarter, analysts are not convinced. The group expects 33,25 to 35,75 billion dollars, the Wall Street 35,95 billions of dollars were expected. Compared to the prior-year quarter, with 29 billion dollars, an increase of 23 percent.

There was also a positive Surprise in first-quarter profit little. Net of these climbed from 482 million in the previous year to 749 million. In the early afternoon, the shares were up in after-hours trading 803 dollars to around 4.4 per cent below the official closing price.

consumers can’t be located. The Christmas quarter is likely to have been, according to preliminary Figures from the US retail Association is the best since 2005. Maybe the competitors are catching up Yes but slowly. Slice Intelligence, a company that evaluates Online purchase receipts, for the period from November market share gains for traditional retailers like Best Buy, Target, Apple, Kohl’s, Adidas, Lululemon, or Home Depot. It would not be enough in many cases, the losses in the shops to compensate. But their digital sales are missing Amazon.

Due to a fiscal problem could turn to the Online retailers soon, even more customers back. Since the VAT in the US is not centrally regulated, in Online shipping at the place of residence of the customer, of this-if he is a private customer – subsequently taxed. However, it makes hardly anyone, and the administrations lack of resources, hundreds of millions of transactions to keep track of. A special provision exempts Online retailers such as Amazon, to take care of the withholding of VAT, if you are in the state of a resident. This has given Amazon over the years, an apparent price advantage.

tilt, However, with the establishment of more distribution centres this Trick. Already 29 States retain, in the meantime, in the case of Amazon transactions, the VAT and forward it to the States where the customers live. 2017 ten more States want to join this approach.