What's going on?

Amazon�s fourth quarter ducked and weaved and bobbed beyond investors� expectations late Thursday, helping the company�s stock price punch 10% higher.

What does this mean?

Total revenue at Amazon grew 21% last quarter versus the same time a year ago, much more than investors expected. The ecommerce king�s record holiday sales season probably helped matters, with unprecedented US store closures last year potentially leaving some Main Street shoppers with little alternative but E Street. What�s more, revenue at the company�s highly profitable cloud computing arm also grew an unexpectedly large 34% � helping Amazon shoot past overall profit predictions too.


Amazon�s earnings forecast for this quarter, meanwhile, was pretty much bang in line with investors� expectations. After disappointing them with its last two quarterly reports, bucking that trend may have encouraged others to throw their hats into the Ring.

Why should I care?

For markets: Growth over value.

Historically, Amazon’s been focused on growing its sales � and while its money-machine cloud business has shifted investors� focus to profit in recent years, Amazon’s own attention hasn�t wavered. The company is still spending billions on building infrastructure for both its cloud and retail segments (including in delivery logistics, where faster shipping boosted pre-Christmas sales by letting more people buy eleventh-hour gifts). And Amazon�s ambitions may bode well for its investors: �growth� stocks have risen far more than cheaper �value� stocks over the past decade.

For you personally: Share and share alike.

Tech stocks like Amazon have long been a favorite among Finimizers, but at around $2,000 a pop, buying an entire share is a big commitment � and could turn a balanced investment portfolio into a risky one. Happily, some brokers now offer investors fractions of shares instead, allowing you to buy into Amazon with much less cash than you�d normally need. How sweet the sound�