This chart shows how, in 2018, Amazon broke through one of the oldest barriers holding back its business

Amazon exceeded Wall Street expectations Thursday when it reported a record-breaking $2.5 billion second-quarter profit. As a result, the company's stock rose four percent in after-hours trading.

While the company's net sales of $52 billion were below analyst's projections, the big story was Amazon's surprising profit.

Driven by the AWS cloud business and its high-margin advertising business, Amazon's $2.5 billion net income in Q2 was more than ten times the level in the same period last year.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

As this chart from Statista shows, Amazon has broken out of its past pattern of delivering modest profits, with the bottom line soaring in 2018. Net income in Q2 was an all-time high for Amazon, and we might see a repeat with the company's upcoming third quarter, which Amazon forecasted will also exceed expectations.

Jenny Cheng/Business Insider