Amazon is officially a major player in retail real estate, and its second-quarter earnings report reflected just that.
The e-commerce giant reported net income of $5.07 a share, more than 10 times the $0.40 per share it made in Q2 2017 and far exceeding what Wall Street Journal analysts predicted for the quarter.
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Amazon's quarterly revenue came in at $52.9B, a $14B jump from last year's second-quarter revenues and $500M less than analysts projected. Amazon is now including sales from Whole Foods in its numbers, which it credits for at least part of the boost, according to WSJ. Overall, its net sales increased an eye-popping 37% from the second quarter of 2017 after accounting for foreign exchange rates.
Whole Foods has seen impressive year-over-year growth, as much as 17%, according to Deutsche Bank. With the grocery chain now comprising 80% of Amazon's retail footprint, it seems to be driving Amazon's value even higher.
If the massive jump in share value triggers more investor interest, Amazon's valuation may pass Apple to be No. 1 in the world. Representatives from Morgan Stanley believe that Amazon's profit drivers, which now include Whole Foods, have given the company enough revenue to support its aggressive investments, the WSJ reports.
Even with its $13.7B acquisition of Whole Foods, Amazon's operating cash flow over the past 12 months increased by 22% compared to the previous 12 months, from $17.8B to $21.8B. However, when factoring in debt repayments, the remaining cash flow actually dipped from $5.4B for the 12 months ending June 30, 2017, to $4.1B as of June 30.
One investment that has yet to produce income for Amazon is its healthcare joint venture with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan. With its subsequent acquisition of online pharmacy PillPack, Amazon is gearing up for a serious entry into one of the biggest industries in the world. Though its true intentions have yet to take shape, investors seem to be enthusiastic for now.
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