Amazon's 3Q results miss analysts' estimates, but posts solid sales gains in cloud computing unit

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon offered a cautious sales outlook for the current fourth quarter that encompasses the critical holiday shopping period after delivering fiscal third-quarter results that came in below Wall Street analysts' expectations.The Seattle-based company, however, posted strong growth in its prominent cloud computing unit. Sales in its cloud computing unit called AWS rose 39.3% during the latest quarter ended Sept. 30, higher than the 37% clip in the previous quarter. It marked the fastest growth rate in nearly five years, the company said.Still, shares were down more than 6% in after-market trading when the results were released as investors focused on the core business.Analysts will be looking for any comments from Amazon executives on the earnings call Thursday about the holiday shopping season. The tech giant said earlier this month that it would hire 300,000 U.S. seasonal workers for the shopping period. That’s up from 250,000 last year.Investors also have been closely