Amazon Shares Fall as AWS Jumps 39% to $46 Billion but Q3 Earnings Miss Forecasts

Amazon's cloud business grew at its fastest pace in nearly five years in the third quarter, but that was not enough to satisfy investors, as the company's earnings and revenue both fell short of Wall Street forecasts and its shares dropped sharply in after-hours trading. Amazon Web Services revenue grew 39% to $46 billion, and CEO Andy Jassy said he expects growth above 40% in both 2027 and 2028.
Overall, Amazon reported net sales of $201.9 billion, up 12% from a year earlier, just below the $202.26 billion analysts expected, while earnings of $1.89 per share missed the $1.97 consensus. Operating income, however, beat expectations at $28.1 billion, and AWS is now running at a $184 billion annual revenue pace, with a contracted backlog of $578 billion, more than double a year earlier.
The catch is the cost of the AI buildout. Capital spending hit $77.3 billion in the quarter, well above forecasts, and Amazon plans about $220 billion for the full year, with even more to come in 2027. Free cash flow over the past 12 months swung to a $42.4 billion outflow, and long-term debt has nearly tripled since December. Amazon's fourth-quarter sales guidance of $240 billion to $247 billion was roughly in line with expectations, leaving investors to weigh a booming cloud business against a very expensive construction bill.
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