Amazon shares skyrocket after Q4 results

EPS results skewed by massive investment gain in Rivian shares

Amazon to boost driver contractors' rates (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Amazon.com Inc. shares skyrocketed in after-hours trading Thursday after the e-tailing giant reported fourth-quarter diluted earnings per share of $27.75, results which included an $11.8 billion gain from its investment in Rivian Automotive Inc., the electric vehicle maker that completed an initial public offering in November and that has a contract with Amazon to build 100,000 delivery vans for the Seattle-based e-tailer.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) reported net income of $14.3 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $7.2 in net income, or $14.09 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2020. The 2021 net income figure from the Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN) pre-tax investment gain, which Amazon classified as nonoperating income.

Operating income fell to $3.5 billion, half of the $6.9 billion reported in the 2020 quarter. Company executives had telegraphed declines in operating income as the company poured billions of dollars into its peak-season fulfillment and delivery network, and was impacted by persistent and severe labor shortages.

Amazon spent $23.6 billion on shipping worldwide in the quarter, a 10% gain from the 2020 quarter when it also spent heavily on delivery services.

After hours, shares rose about $500 a share, a gain of nearly 18% from Thursday’s close. In the regular session, shares fell more than 7.8% in sympathy with a sharp sell-off in technology shares after Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc., (NYSE: FB) posted weak fourth-quarter results and issued disappointing guidance.

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Compliance

Brokerage Compliance Symposium

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Awards

F3 Awards Dinner

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Compliance Brokerage Compliance Symposium Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
Awards F3 Awards Dinner Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Mark Solomon

Formerly the Executive Editor at DC Velocity, Mark Solomon joined FreightWaves as Managing Editor of Freight Markets. Solomon began his journalistic career in 1982 at Traffic World magazine, ran his own public relations firm (Media Based Solutions) from 1994 to 2008, and has been at DC Velocity since then. Over the course of his career, Solomon has covered nearly the whole gamut of the transportation and logistics industry, including trucking, railroads, maritime, 3PLs, and regulatory issues. Solomon witnessed and narrated the rise of Amazon and XPO Logistics and the shift of the U.S. Postal Service from a mail-focused service to parcel, as well as the exponential, e-commerce-driven growth of warehouse square footage and omnichannel fulfillment.