MidnightTrader’s Analyst Play: Amazon.com

Amazon.com
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AMZN |
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is due with its Q1 results after the bell tonight, and analysts polled by Thomson Financial are expecting the company to report a profit of $0.32 per share on revenue of $4.081 billion.

The stock is routinely among the higher volume, post-earnings movers in extended-hours trading.

AMZN has been one of the more consistent session-to-session performers within our earnings database. The stock has compiled wider next-day closing levels in nearly all of the quarters we’ve tracked over the past few years. The near-term pattern strongly favors the widening trend, with the stock crossing more aggressive next-day trade in four of its last five quarters.

On Jan. 30, 2008, AMZN tumbled 11.1% in after-hours trade after beating on revenue, meeting on earnings and setting guidance above Street estimates. It saw that decline evaporate the next day as the stock charged to the plus side and ended the Jan. 31 regular session with a 4.7% gain.

On Oct. 23, 2007, the stock dropped 10.5% in the evening session after despite the company’s Q3 beat and guidance mostly above expectations. The loss was 12% the next day.

On July 24, 2007, AMZN soared 20.3% in night trade after better-than-expected Q2 results and guidance. Shares added to those gains, closing the next day session up 24.4%.

On April 24, 2007, AMZN jumped 12.1% in evening trade after beating Q1 estimates and guiding above Street views. Shares surged the next day, closing the regular session up 26.9%.

On Feb. 1, 2007, AMZN dipped 0.5% in night trade despite topping Q4 estimates and guiding Q1 and 2007 sales above Street views. Shares lost even more ground the next day, closing the regular session down 3.4%.

Brooks McFeely is widely regarded as the leading expert on extended-hours trading. He is a Managing Partner for Brochet Capital Partners, LP and the founder of Midnight Trader, Inc. (www.midnighttrader.com), the leading provider of pre-market and after-hours trading analysis and news to retail and institutional investors.