Amazon notes strong Fire pre-orders as profits dip - USA Today

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos today noted that the new Amazon Fire touch tablet -- the company's $199 answer to the Apple iPad -- has seen robust pre-orders since it was announced on Sept. 28. The device will be available in November, and Bezos said Amazon is making "millions more" than it had intended.

Bezos' remarks came as Amazon on Tuesday reported net income sank 73% despite strong sales growth in the third quarter as the online retailer spent money to grow its business, according to the Associated Press.

The company's earnings failed to meet analyst expectations and its stock price fell $10.46, or 4.4%, closing at $227.51; it fell further, as much as 20%, in the hours after trading closed. The company earned $63 million, or 14 cents per share, in the quarter ending Sept. 30, vs. $231 million, or 51 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 44 percent to $10.9 billion. But the company has built more than a dozen fulfillment centers this year to help ship wide variety of products.