E-book sales may slow

Article Excerpt

AMAZON.COM $129.65 (Nasdaq symbol AMZN; SI Rating: Extra Risk) (206-266-1000; www.amazon.com; Shares outstanding: 447.8 million; Market cap: $58.1 billion; No dividends paid) reports that its sales jumped 41.2% in the latest quarter, to $6.6 billion from $4.7 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 39.4%, to $0.46 from $0.33. Sales of electronic books for its Kindle reader continue to grow strongly. In the first half of 2010, Amazon sold 143 e-books for every 100 hardcover books. In the month of June, that ratio rose to 180:100. Amazon was one of the first companies to sell e-books. But major competitors, particularly Apple’s iPad, will erode that advantage. Amazon.com is still a hold. hold…