Items for Analysis: Amazon

Review your company's investments on the balance sheet. Explain the details of the investments based on the amounts and disclosures found in the financial statements. What information does the investment section, along with applicable notes to the financial statements, provide to the user? How does each company comply with the rules as provided in the FASB Codification?

Operating cash flow increased 25% to $38.5 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $30.7 billion for the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2018. Free cash flow increased to $25.8 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $19.4 billion for the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2018. Free cash flow less principal repayments of finance leases and financing obligations increased to $16.2 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $11.6 billion for the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2018. Free cash flow less equipment finance leases and principal repayments of all other finance leases and financing obligations increased to $12.5 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $8.4 billion for the trailing twelve months ended December 31, 2018.

Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 512 million on December 31, 2019, compared with 507 million one year ago.

Fourth Quarter 2019

Net sales increased 21% to $87.4 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $72.4 billion in fourth quarter 2018. Excluding the $120 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 21% compared with fourth quarter 2018.

Operating income increased to $3.9 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with operating income of $3.8 billion in fourth quarter 2018.

Net income increased to $3.3 billion in the fourth quarter, or $6.47 per diluted share, compared with net income of $3.0 billion, or $6.04 per diluted share, in fourth quarter 2018.

Full Year 2019

Net sales increased 20% to $280.5 billion, compared with $232.9 billion in 2018. Excluding the $2.6 billion unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the year, net sales increased 22% compared with 2018.

Operating income increased to $14.5 billion, compared with operating income of $12.4 billion in 2018.

Net income increased to $11.6 billion, or $23.01 per diluted share, compared with net income of $10.1 billion, or $20.14 per diluted share, in 2018.

"Prime membership continues to get better for customers year after year. And customers are responding more people joined Prime this quarter than ever before, and we now have over 150 million paid Prime members around the world," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. "We've made Prime delivery faster the number of items delivered to U.S. customers with Prime's free one-day and same-day delivery more than quadrupled this quarter compared to last year. Members now have free two-hour grocery delivery from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market in more than 2,000 U.S. cities and towns. Prime members watched double the hours of original movies and TV shows on Prime Video this quarter compared to last year, and Amazon Originals received a record 88 nominations and 26 wins at major awards shows. A huge thank you to teams across Amazon for their dedicated work to build, innovate, and deliver for customers this holiday."

Highlights

During this holiday season, customers ordered billions of items worldwide, including tens of millions of Amazon devices. Best-selling devices this holiday were Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote, and Echo Show 5.