From Briefing.com..."AMAZON.COM (AMZN) 192. Allow us to be cynical for a moment. Before the open Tuesday, Internet retailer Amazon.com (AMZN) announced exclusive relationships with Hoover's Online and Broadcast.com. This was a day after their stock dropped 24 5/8. AMZN has an amazing ability to come up with press releases every time their stop drops. The last time this occurred was on November 20, when AMZN announced a 3-for-1 stock split a day after AMZN stock dropped 24 points in the last hour of trading and ended up down 10 points on the day. Before that, on September 2, announced a deal with Yahoo after the stock had plunged from 140 to 70 in less than two weeks. AMZN's ability to come up with timely press releases also seems to correlate with options expirations. In recent months, AMZN has frequently come up with press releases a few days ahead of options expiration. In many cases, this has given the stocks, and its loyal fans, a lift just as (call) options are due to expire. Last month, for example, AMZN announced it would sell gifts on the Tuesday ahead of options expiration, and the stock, then at 125, took off like a rocket. And that was only two weeks ago. Briefing.com isn't suggesting any of these press releases don't have validity. But it would be surprising if management at AMZN hasn't noticed that every time they put out a press release (on just about anything) the stock responds. This is also a company that reported an indisputable operating loss of $0.90 per share last quarter, yet convinced the world to focus on its pro-forma loss of just $0.49 per share, because the extra $0.31 per share was due to business they didn't own in the prior year - as if that means that the losses don't really count, or affect the balance sheet. AMZN lost a lot more money last quarter than they ever have, and the stock improved. Perhaps this is just Briefing.com viewing the world and Wall Street in a highly cynical manner. Or perhaps, it reflects wise management timing looking after its shareholders. In either case, it might be worth watching next time AMZN's stock takes a dive, or what happens ahead of the next options expiration Friday. It would be surprising if AMZN doesn't always have a few deals in hand that it could announce. And rather than viewing this as an indictment of AMZN, consider it an observation to assist in trading strategies. Today, AMZN is indicated to open a bit lower, but the press release is providing support on a day where the market looks to open lower."
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