Amazon’s second-quarter earnings soared to $62.6 billion, driven by a monumental $53.4 billion gain largely tied to its investment in AI startup Anthropic. This spike pushed profit to $5.75 per diluted share, a stark jump from $1.68 per share a year ago. Investors reacted swiftly, sending shares up more than 10% after market close.
Revenue hit $200.61 billion, exceeding expectations and marking a 20% increase from the same period last year. Amazon’s cloud division, AWS, remained a powerhouse, with sales climbing 37% to $42.2 billion, outperforming analyst predictions amid surging demand for AI-related services. Advertising revenue also grew steadily, reaching nearly $19.8 billion, reflecting a 26% boost.
Operating income rose sharply as well, reaching $27.5 billion for the quarter. Despite currency fluctuations affecting revenue by just $100 million, Amazon’s solid underlying growth remained clear. The massive capital gain from Anthropic complicates straightforward profit comparisons but shows how strategic investments in AI can drastically transform the bottom line.
