Amazon reaches 150 million Prime members

NEW YORK — Amazon had another prime holiday season.

The online retailer said Thursday it has more than 150 million Prime members worldwide who pay $119 a year for faster shipping and other perks. That’s up 50 percent from the last time Amazon disclosed the number in 2018. It also surpasses Netflix, which has 139 million members globally who pay to stream movies and TV shows.

“More people joined Prime this quarter than ever before,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO and founder.

The Seattle-based company also reported financial results for the holiday season that were far better than analysts expected. Its shares soared 10 percent to $2,055 in after-hours trading Thursday.

The staggering number of Prime members is sure to spook other retailers. Analysts have said Prime subscribers typically spend more of their money at Amazon than other places.

Overall, the company said its fourth-quarter profit rose 8 percent to $3.3 billion.

Earnings per share came to $6.47, far beyond the $4.04 per share analysts were expecting, according to research firm FactSet.

Revenue jumped 21 percent to $87.4 billion, also beating expectations.

For all of 2019, Amazon said it brought in $11.6 billion in profit and $280 billion in revenue.