Core Viewpoint - Amazon is a dominant global platform company operating in e-commerce, subscription services, digital advertising, and cloud computing, with significant growth in its AWS segment and a strong competitive position across various sectors [2][3][20]. Company Overview - Amazon operates through three primary segments: North America (61% of sales), international, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) [2]. - The company is not only a first-party online retailer but also one of the largest third-party marketplaces, generating revenue from seller fees and advertising [3]. Financial Performance - In Q3, Amazon reported total revenue of over $180 billion, a 13% year-over-year increase, and a GAAP EPS of $1.95, up 36% year-over-year [8]. - AWS generated $33 billion in revenue for the quarter, reflecting a 20% year-over-year growth and a 17% sequential increase [9]. - Operating income was approximately $17.4 billion, about 10% of total sales, but operating margin decreased to 11% from 11.8% in Q2 [9][10]. Growth Drivers - AWS is experiencing accelerating growth with a revenue run rate exceeding $125 billion annually and a $200 billion backlog driven by cloud and AI expansion [11]. - Amazon's Tranium AI accelerators are gaining traction, with Tranium 2 showing a 150% year-over-year growth in subscriptions [12]. - The advertising segment continues to scale as a high-margin business, supported by logistics and fulfillment optimization [12]. Competitive Landscape - Amazon faces competition from Walmart and Costco in retail, and from Microsoft and Google in cloud services, with AWS's market share estimated at 29%, indicating a decline due to competitive pressures [5][16]. - Potential oversupply issues in the cloud market could lead to intensified price competition [16]. Profitability Metrics - Amazon's EBITDA margin over the past four quarters is 20%, exceeding its 5-year average by 600 basis points [14]. - The net income margin stands at 11%, significantly higher than the sector median of 4% and above Amazon's 5-year average of 5.62% [15]. Technical Analysis - The stock shows a slight positive annual return with a 52-week price increase of approximately 3%, but year-to-date growth is less than 6% [18]. - Amazon's stock is currently in a confluent zone of moving averages, suggesting potential for advancement as the end of 2025 approaches [19]. Future Outlook - The core bull case for Amazon relies on retail margin durability, fulfillment scale, and the growth of advertising monetization alongside AWS's acceleration tied to AI workloads [21]. - Investors will monitor AWS's growth against competitors and the impact of capital expenditures on free cash flow conversion rates [21].

One of these stocks hasn't performed well in 2025, leading to a magnificent opportunity for the year ahead.The premise of only picking a single stock from a small group of options obviously doesn't apply in the real world. You can buy any stock (or as many stocks as) you want to at any given time.Nevertheless, this sort of thought exercise has value. Not only does it require you to weigh a company's own pros against its own cons, but it also forces you to compare one potential investment to another. This ca ...

Market Overview - Gold is experiencing a record rally, on track for its largest annual gain since 1979, driven by economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, with predictions of reaching $4,900 to $5,100 by the end of 2026 [1][2] - Gas prices have fallen to four-year lows, currently below $3, marking the lowest levels since 2021, attributed to increased oil production by OPEC and resilient US oil production [1][5] - The S&P 500 is attempting to maintain momentum, with a potential record close above 6,932, which would mark the 40th record high this year [1] Gold and Precious Metals - Analysts suggest that while gold has outperformed the S&P 500, a substantial pullback is expected, and new positions in gold may not be advisable at this time [1][2] - Gold miners and ETFs have seen significant returns, with the VANC gold miners ETF up over 160% [2] - Silver has also seen a 150% return this year, benefiting from both its precious metal status and industrial demand, particularly in electrification and AI [2] Oil and Gas Sector - Crude oil was on track for its biggest weekly gain in three months but is now facing downward pressure due to geopolitical tensions [1] - The geopolitical landscape, particularly in the Middle East and Venezuela, poses risks to oil supply and prices moving into 2026 [5] - US oil production remains resilient, up about 3-4% from last year, contributing to lower gasoline prices [5] IPO Market Outlook - 2026 is anticipated to be a significant year for the IPO market, with a backlog of solid private companies ready to go public, including potential mega IPOs from companies like SpaceX and OpenAI [3][4] - Stability in equity markets and successful IPO performances will be crucial for encouraging new issuances [3][4] - The VIX index is currently low, indicating a favorable environment for IPOs [3] Consumer Internet Sector - Top picks for 2026 include Amazon, Meta, Mardo, Libre, and DoorDash, driven by investment cycles and expected growth in their respective sectors [6][7] - The autonomous driving sector is expected to see significant advancements, particularly with companies like Whimo and Tesla expanding into new markets [11][12] - The AI trend remains strong, with companies focusing on infrastructure and use cases that could yield quantifiable returns [14] Financial Resolutions and Investor Strategies - Investors are encouraged to maintain discipline in their portfolios amidst ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and market volatility [26][27] - A focus on income stability over chasing returns is recommended for retirees transitioning into the income phase [29][30] - Tax planning is highlighted as a critical component for investors, especially with new legislation impacting tax returns [36][37]

Key Points Artificial intelligence (AI) competition has brought out the best in Alphabet. The company has a big structural cost advantage that should continue to widen. Amazon, meanwhile, does not get enough credit for its leadership in robotics or its own custom AI chips. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › With the market near all-time highs and murmurs of an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble and even a potential market crash, there are some stocks I still wouldn't sell. While I'm not ...

For Immediate ReleasesChicago, IL – December 26, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog includeAnalog Devices, Inc. (ADI) , Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) and Fortive Corp. (FTV) .Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:Buy 3 Tech Stocks as Santa Claus Rally Gets UnderwayThe Santa Claus rally appears to have fina ...

Key Takeaways Amazon's AWS revenues hit $33.01B in Q3 2025, up 20.2% YoY, driven by AI and core infrastructure demand. Microsoft's Azure revenues grew 40% YoY as Intelligent Cloud sales reached $30.9B on Copilot adoption.Alphabet's AI-powered cloud revenues rose 32% to $15.16B, with backlog at $155B and Gemini 2.5 users at 650M.The artificial intelligence (AI) saga, supported by the massive growth of cloud computing and data centers, is yet to fully unfold. This space remains rock solid supported by an extr ...

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has been one of the stock market's biggest success stories ever. ...

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is pioneering a shift towards “ambient intelligence” as part of its strategy to address the growing fatigue with social media “doom scrolling.” Panos Panay, the e-commerce retailer’s head of devices and services, highlighted the potential of this new era, emphasizing that technology should seamlessly integrate into users’ lives without the need for screens.Speaking at Fortune Brainstorm AI in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, Panay said, “There's a whole younger generation c ...

Group 1: Consumer Sentiment and Economic Indicators - Consumer sentiment for December was revised down to 52.9 from an initial estimate of 53.3, although it improved from 51.0 in November [4] - The Consumer Price Index rose 2.7% year-over-year in November, with regional variations; for example, inflation in Southern California was 4.5% compared to 1.1% in Dallas [4] - Year-ahead inflation expectations declined for the fourth consecutive month to 4.2%, the lowest level in 11 months, but still above the 3.3% recorded in January [5] Group 2: Capital Expenditures in the Tech Industry - Major tech companies, including Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, are significantly increasing their capital expenditures (CapEx) in AI infrastructure as competition intensifies [9] - Meta expects its 2025 CapEx to be in the range of $70 billion to $72 billion, up from a prior outlook of $66 billion to $72 billion [10] - Alphabet raised its CapEx forecast for 2025 and 2026 to between $91 billion and $93 billion, up from a previous estimate of $85 billion [12] - Amazon reported cash CapEx of $34.2 billion in Q3 and a total of $89.9 billion spent so far this year, emphasizing continued significant investments in AI [13] Group 3: Market Outlook and Predictions - The S&P 500 is predicted to rise another 10-15% in 2026, driven by strong spending in technology and the resilience of major companies against tariffs [14] - The tech sector is expected to maintain expanding profit margins even as it enters lower-margin businesses like AI [14]

baona/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify Consumer sentiment revised lower for December as year-ahead inflation expectation revised up a tick. Tech giants brace to spend billions more in CapEx as AI race heats up. 2026 S&P 500 Outlook: I'm The Lone Bull In The China Shop. This is an abridged transcript. 2025….has been a year. But don’t we say the same thing at the end of every year? Well, today we’re looking at the year as a whole and remembering three big ...