Making moves....

Amazon recently just implemented two strategies that will place them in a strong position entering the last month of Q1.

1) An online Mp3 store
2) E-books offered strictly for the Kindle device will now be offered on a range of mobile phones

These two changes come after criticism that Amazon.com would box itself into its current position and mistakenly place itself at risk. With these new strategies it could see increased profits in the face of this financial crisis, only time will tell.

Board & Financial Transparency

In order for Amazon.com to increase transparency and shareholder understanding, it held a conference call that was webcast live and remains available for 3 months post airing. The call contained forward-looking statements and other material information regarding financial and operating results. Also the company is pushing shareholders to vote online and receive materials electronically in order to cut costs and become more Eco-friendly, which ultimately benefits the shareholder.

Amazon's beating the crisis

While many companies have been hard hit by the financial crisis, Amazon has seen improvements in their bottom line. According to Amazon.com's Q4 financial report, sales were up 18% while 2008 free cash flow grew 16%. On January 29 they posted their Q4 results with descriptive forecasts of these positive results (Q4 Results)

Amazon.com's Stock Price as of Friday Feb 20, 2009 ($63.86)

S&P Raises Amazon's Debt Rating

During my analysis of Maytag and Amazon's financial stability, I ran across this article on bloomberg.com. Amazon.com's investment rating was raised two levels due to the company's sales and profit last quarter. In the mix of the financial crisis, Amazon.com has been able to position itself positively and capture the "bargain shoppers" perusing the Internet for the best value they can find. Although stock performance hit a low of $35.72 per share in Nov., it has climbed to $63.23 as of Feb. 13. This increase can translate into the confidence investors see in Amazon.com's direction and current stability in a shaky economy.