Amazon Sees 26% Surge in Ad Revenue Amid Record Profits

WHO:

Variety - Amazon, an American multinational technology company.

Techmeme - AI company Anthropic, in which Amazon has invested.

WHAT:

Fast Company - Amazon received approximately $600 million in tariff refunds during Q2, which will be used to issue refunds to affected customers and invest in low prices.

Fast Company - Amazon's CFO Brian Olsavsky stated, "When we receive those refunds, we will proactively contact affected customers and automatically issue refunds to them."

ABC News - Amazon plans to invest an additional $20 billion in technology, primarily artificial intelligence, raising its total expected capital spending to $220 billion for the year.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's backlog stands at $496 billion, growing triple digits year over year.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's custom chip business is growing at a triple-digit year-over-year rate.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's stock jumped roughly 13% in premarket trading following the earnings report.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's AWS revenue growth of 36.7% year-over-year to $42.2 billion marked the fastest rate of growth in 18 quarters.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's free cash flow fell to -$7.6 billion, a 142% decline, as the company spends billions on AI.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's North American net sales climbed to $116.1 billion.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's subscription services revenue increased 12% year-over-year to $13.73 billion.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's net income surged 245% to $62.6 billion.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's operating income rose 43% to $27.5 billion.

ABC News - Amazon plans to increase its capital spending on technology, primarily artificial intelligence, by an additional 10%, raising the total expected capital spending to $220 billion for the year.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's AWS revenue growth of 36.7% year-over-year to $42.2 billion marked the fastest rate of growth in 18 quarters.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's free cash flow fell to -$7.6 billion, a 142% decline, as the company spends billions on AI.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's net income for the second quarter was reported at $62.65 billion, or $5.75 per share, compared to $18.16 billion or $1.68 per share in the year-ago period.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's total revenue for Q2 was $200.6 billion, a 20% increase year-over-year.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's subscription services revenue increased 12% year-over-year to $13.73 billion.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's stock jumped roughly 13% in premarket trading following the earnings report.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's backlog stands at $496 billion, growing triple digits year over year.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's custom chip business is growing at a triple-digit year-over-year rate.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's free cash flow fell to -$7.6 billion, a 142% decline, as the company spends billions on AI.

Yahoo Finance - Amazon's North American net sales climbed to $116.1 billion.

ABC News - Amazon plans to increase its capital spending on technology by an additional 10%, raising the total expected capital spending to $220 billion for the year.

ABC News - CEO and President Andy Jassy stated that Amazon will not have enough capacity to meet all of the demand it has this year, and he believes this will also be true in 2027.

ABC News - Jassy noted that the demand for 2028 is already "striking."

ABC News - Amazon's AWS revenue growth of 37% year-over-year to $42.2 billion marked the fastest rate of growth in 18 quarters.

ABC News - Amazon's net income for the second quarter was reported at $62.65 billion, or $5.75 per share, compared to $18.16 billion or $1.68 per share in the year-ago period.

ABC News - Amazon expects net sales for the current quarter to be in the range of $197 billion to $202 billion, while analysts expect $203.9 billion.

ABC News - Amazon plans to increase its capital spending on technology, primarily artificial intelligence, by an additional 10%, bringing the total expected capital spending to $220 billion for the year.

ABC News - CEO and President Andy Jassy stated that even at the $220 billion level, Amazon will not have enough capacity to meet all of the demand it has this year.

ABC News - Jassy mentioned that the demand for 2028 is already "striking."

Techmeme - Amazon plans to invest $200 billion in 2026 to build AI infrastructure.

Financial Times - Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta plan to spend a combined $745 billion in capital expenditures this year.

Techmeme - Amazon's AWS revenue growth of 37% year-over-year exceeded estimates of a 31.21% increase.

Techmeme - Amazon's stock increased by more than 9% in extended trading following the earnings report.

Techmeme - Amazon reported a $25 billion+ annual revenue run rate for chips.

Techmeme - Amazon reported Q2 AWS revenue up 37% year-over-year to $42.2 billion.

Techmeme - AWS operating income increased 64% to $16.6 billion.

Variety - Amazon's ad revenue for the second quarter was up 26% to $19.81 billion.

Techmeme - Amazon's total revenue for Q2 was $200.6 billion, a 20% increase year-over-year.

Techmeme - Amazon's net income surged 245% to $62.6 billion.

Techmeme - Amazon's operating income rose 43% to $27.5 billion.

Techmeme - Amazon's subscription services revenue increased 12% year-over-year to $13.73 billion.

WHERE:

Small Business Trends - Amazon Business has reached $60 billion in annual sales, impacting procurement for millions of companies.

Techmeme - Seattle, where Amazon.com, Inc. is headquartered.

WHEN:

Techmeme - The financial results reported are for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026.

WHY:

Variety - The increase in profits is attributed to Amazon's investment in AI company Anthropic.

HOW:

Fast Company - Amazon's strategy involved scrambling to pre-buy and pre-position inventory to mitigate the impact of tariffs before the refunds were issued.

Yahoo Finance - CEO Andy Jassy stated, "AWS is booming, growing 36.7% year-over-year in Q2 — our fastest growth in 18 quarters — and our AI and Chips businesses each eclipsed run rates of more than $25 billion."

Yahoo Finance - CEO Andy Jassy stated, "We added over $4.6 billion in revenue quarter over quarter — about 80% more than our largest increase ever."

Yahoo Finance - Amazon is expanding its chip sales, renting out capacity to Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, and others.

ABC News - Amazon is speeding up order delivery times through a combination of robotics, AI technology, and more efficient warehousing.

Techmeme - The growth in AWS revenue is linked to surging enterprise AI spending.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 21:18 UTC)

Amazon has announced that it received around $600 million in tariff refunds during the second quarter, which will be used to provide refunds to affected customers and help maintain low prices. CFO Brian Olsavsky emphasized that the company will proactively reach out to those customers and automatically issue refunds as soon as they receive the funds. To prepare for this, Amazon implemented a strategy of pre-buying and pre-positioning inventory to lessen the impact of tariffs before the refunds were finalized.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 19:23 UTC)

Amazon is making headlines with plans to invest an additional $20 billion in technology, primarily focusing on artificial intelligence, which raises its total expected capital spending for the year to $220 billion. The company's net income surged by an impressive 245% to $62.6 billion, while its AWS revenue grew 36.7% year-over-year to $42.2 billion, marking the fastest growth rate in 18 quarters. CEO Andy Jassy highlighted the success of their AI and custom chip businesses, both surpassing run rates of more than $25 billion, as Amazon's stock jumped roughly 13% in premarket trading following the earnings report.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 18:22 UTC)

Amazon is ramping up its investment in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, with plans to increase capital spending by an additional 10%, bringing the total to $220 billion for the year. In the second quarter, the company reported a net income of $62.65 billion, which translates to $5.75 per share, a significant rise from $18.16 billion or $1.68 per share in the same period last year, while total revenue reached $200.6 billion, marking a 20% year-over-year increase. CEO Andy Jassy highlighted the impressive growth of Amazon Web Services, which surged by 36.7% year-over-year, making it the fastest growth rate in 18 quarters, alongside strong performances in their AI and Chips divisions.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 16:29 UTC)

Amazon's stock surged approximately 13% in premarket trading after a strong earnings report, highlighting the company's impressive performance. CEO Andy Jassy announced that Amazon's backlog has reached $496 billion, growing at a remarkable triple-digit rate year over year, along with its custom chip business, which is also expanding significantly. Jassy emphasized the company's growth by noting they added over $4.6 billion in revenue quarter over quarter, which is about 80% more than their largest increase ever.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 13:29 UTC)

Amazon is set to boost its capital spending on technology, particularly artificial intelligence, by an additional 10%, bringing the total expected spending for the year to $220 billion. Despite this investment, the company's free cash flow has fallen to negative $7.6 billion, marking a significant 142% decline as it pours resources into AI initiatives. On a positive note, Amazon's North American net sales have risen to $116.1 billion, and the company is also expanding its chip sales by renting out capacity to major players like Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 10:53 UTC)

Amazon is set to boost its capital spending on technology by an additional 10%, bringing the total expected spending to $220 billion for the year. CEO Andy Jassy has indicated that the company won't have enough capacity to meet its demand this year, a situation he anticipates will also persist into 2027, with demand for 2028 already described as "striking." In the second quarter, Amazon reported a net income of $62.65 billion, or $5.75 per share, a significant increase from $18.16 billion, or $1.68 per share, in the same period last year.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 07:52 UTC)

Amazon is set to boost its capital spending on technology, particularly artificial intelligence, by an additional 10%, which will bring the total expected spending to $220 billion for the year. CEO Andy Jassy noted that even with this significant investment, the company will still struggle to meet all the demand it anticipates for this year, and he described the demand for 2028 as already "striking." To address this, Amazon is accelerating order delivery times by leveraging robotics, AI technology, and enhancing its warehousing efficiency.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 06:02 UTC)

Amazon has announced plans to invest a staggering $200 billion in 2026 to build its AI infrastructure. In a broader industry effort, tech giants Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are set to spend a combined total of $745 billion in capital expenditures this year. This significant financial commitment highlights the ongoing push for advancements in technology and artificial intelligence.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 22:22 UTC)

Amazon's AWS revenue growth of 37% year-over-year has surpassed estimates of a 31.21% increase, leading to a more than 9% rise in the company's stock during extended trading. Additionally, Amazon reported an impressive annual revenue run rate of over $25 billion for its chips division. Meanwhile, Amazon Business has achieved $60 billion in annual sales, significantly influencing procurement for millions of companies.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 21:22 UTC)

Amazon has reported impressive financial results for the second quarter, with total revenue reaching $200.6 billion, marking a 20% increase year-over-year, and net income soaring by 245% to $62.6 billion. The growth is largely attributed to Amazon's investment in AI company Anthropic and a significant rise in AWS revenue, which was up 37% to $42.2 billion, driven by increased enterprise AI spending. Additionally, Amazon's ad revenue climbed 26% to $19.81 billion, while subscription services revenue saw a 12% increase to $13.73 billion.