Web retailer Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled, helped by fast-growing international sales.Amazon's earnings in the crucial holiday quarter climbed to $207 million, or 48 cents per share, from $98 million, or 23 cents per share, in the same period last year. Results matched Wall Street's expectations: Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast a profit of 48 cents per share.

Revenue rose 42 percent to $5.67 billion from $3.9 billion in the year-ago quarter, topping analysts' prediction of $5.37 billion in revenue.

The company said changes in foreign exchange rates lifted sales by $200 million.

International sales growth outpaced U.S. sales in the holiday quarter. U.S. and Canada sales rose 40 percent to $3.08 billion, while sales to other countries climbed 46 percent to $2.59 billion.



Sales for Amazon's largest business segment, which includes books, music and movies, grew 33 percent to $3.33 billion worldwide in the quarter.

Electronics and general merchandise revenue rose 58 percent to $2.21 billion.

In a statement released Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos attributed the strong quarter to "continuously improving the customer experience."

For all of 2007, Amazon said it earned $1.12 per share on $14.83 billion in sales, more than double the earnings in same period a year earlier, when it posted a profit of 45 cents per share on $10.71 billion in revenue.

Amazon issued stronger guidance than Wall Street was expecting.

For the current quarter, Amazon forecast between $3.95 billion and $4.15 billion in sales. For the full year, it predicted revenue of $18.75 billion and $19.75 billion.

Analysts were predicting $3.92 billion in sales in the first quarter, and $18.25 billion in revenue for the year.

Shares of Amazon added 26 cents to close at $74.21 before the results were announced.