Amazon Q4 sales up 40 percent

Online retailing giant Amazon.com Inc. (amzn) said Monday that sales for the crucial fourth quarter rose more than 40 percent to $960 million, while its pro forma operating loss decreased.

Sales in the last three months of 2000 covering the holiday shopping season rose from the previous year's $676 million, the Seattle-based company said in a pre-announcement of its earnings expected Jan. 30.

Amazon said its pro forma operating loss was expected to be less than 7 percent of net sales, compared to 26 percent of net sales in the fourth quarter of 1999. Full story.--ZDNet Inter@ctive Investor