Amazon Falls as Profit Outlook, Cloud Growth Spook Investors

Amazon.com Inc. dropped after projecting weaker-than-expected operating income and trailing the sales growth of its cloud rivals, leaving investors searching for signs that the company’s huge investments in artificial intelligence are paying off.

Operating profit will be $15.5 billion to $20.5 billion in the period ending in September, compared with an average estimate of $19.4 billion. Sales will be $174 billion to $179.5 billion, the company said Thursday in a statement. Analysts, on average, expected $173.2 billion.