Amazon's ad business grew 19% in first quarter, topping estimates

Core Insights - Amazon reported a 19% increase in online ad revenue for the first quarter, reaching $13.92 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $13.74 billion [2] - Total first-quarter sales for Amazon were $155.67 billion, exceeding Wall Street projections of $155.04 billion [2] - Amazon's online ad business has become the third-largest platform in the global digital advertising market, following Alphabet and Meta [3] Industry Context - Online advertising is a key focus for investors amid economic uncertainty and escalating U.S.-China trade tensions [4] - The impact of President Trump's China tariffs is expected to affect Amazon's core retail business, with potential repercussions for its online ad unit [4] - Despite solid first-quarter earnings reported by tech companies with online ad businesses, there are warnings of potentially tougher times ahead later in the year [4]