Amazon.com reported net profit of USD 63 million for the third quarter, down 73 percent from a year ago as the company saw a sharp increase in operating costs. EPS dropped to USD 0.14 from USD 0.51. The company's revenues were still up strongly, growing 44 percent year-on-year to USD 10.88 billion, while operating profit dropped to USD 79 million from USD 268 million a year ago. Operating cash flow increased 19 percent to USD 3.11 billion for the trailing twelve months, while free cash flow decreased 17 percent over the same period to USD 1.53 billion. The company said orders for its new Kindle e-readers are double the previous launch. Ahead of the launch of the Kindle Fire tablet next month, it's increasing capacity and building "millions" more than previously planned. For the fourth quarter, Amazon forecast sales of USD 16.45-18.65 billion, up 27-44 percent from a year earlier. The operating result will range from a loss of USD 200 million to a profit of USD 250 million, meaning a decline of 47-142 percent.
