Amazon.com shares jump after quarterly results

Amazon.com Inc shares jumped almost 7 percent on Tuesday after the world's largest Internet retailer reported better-than-expected quarterly profit.

The Seattle-based company said operating income jumped 56 percent to USD 405 million in the fourth quarter, compared with USD 260 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

"The fourth-quarter operating income was up more than expected," said RJ Hottovy, an equity analyst at Morningstar. "This supports the bull case that Amazon can monetize its growth over the longer term."

Amazon shares climbed 6.8 percent to USD 278 in after-hours trading following its results.

The company said fourth-quarter revenue jumped 22 percent to USD 21.27 billion as it grabbed a big share of online spending during the crucial holiday period.