Amazon posts second consecutive gains

SEATTLE — Amazon defied analyst expectations by posting earnings of 17 cents per share, its second quarter of growth in a row, in spite of a forecast loss of 13 cents per share. The e-retailer’s net sales increased 23% from the previous year, while its earnings compare to a 95 cent per-share loss a year earlier. North American sales rose 28% to $15 billion, from $11.7 billion in Q3 2014. Much of the growth was credited to the merchant’s booming Amazon Web Service, which provides cloud computing services to developers.