Company Analysis - Amazon continues to dominate in e-commerce and cloud infrastructure, which are considered megatrends of the modern world [2] - The September 2024 'Strong Buy' recommendation for Amazon has aged well [2] Analyst Background - The analyst has a beneficial long position in Amazon through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives [3] - The analyst has a background in IT and has been managing a family portfolio in the U S stock market for seven years [4] - The analyst has a deep understanding of risk and reward, particularly in technology stocks, but also explores diverse sectors [4]

Valuation and Market Performance - Amazon's shares trade at nearly 36 times forward earnings, making it the second-most expensive "Magnificent Seven" stock [2] - Amazon's stock skyrocketed 81% in 2023 and is on track to finish 2024 up close to 50% [10] - The company's earnings multiples have been even higher in the past, with its share price continuing to climb [1] Earnings and Cash Flow - In Q3 2024, Amazon reported earnings of $15.3 billion, up nearly 55% year over year [13] - Free cash flow nearly tripled year over year to $44.9 billion in Q3 2024 [13] Cloud Services and AI - AWS is poised to benefit from the shift in global IT spending from on-premises to cloud, which is expected to reverse over the next 10 years [3] - The AI boom that boosted AWS could be slowing down, potentially translating to slower growth for AWS and its cloud services peers [8] - Amazon is expected to be a key player in the race for AI agents, which could be the next big thing in AI [7] E-commerce and Retail - Amazon's CEO predicts that the current mix of 80% to 85% of retail in physical stores will flip in the next 10 to 20 years, with e-commerce taking the lead [14] - As the leader in e-commerce, Amazon is expected to be one of the biggest winners if this prediction holds true [14] Economic and Market Risks - Economic uncertainty and potential Federal Reserve actions on interest rates could negatively impact Amazon in 2025 [11] - Steep tariffs pledged by President-elect Trump could cause product prices to rise, potentially leading to a decline in consumer spending and hurting Amazon's business [2] Investment Perspective - Amazon stock is considered a good pick for growth-oriented investors with a long-term perspective, despite not paying a dividend [9] - The chances are good that Amazon stock will increase in the new year, but there are many variables that could present problems [5]

The U.S. stock market remained mostly resilient, driven by a healthy economic backdrop and rate cuts by the Federal Reserve despite spells of volatility and inflationary pressure during 2024. Year to date, the S&P 500 is up 26.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained 13.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite has risen 30.1%.Moving on to 2025, the U.S. markets seem well-poised for growth, driven by steady consumer spending and booming technological innovation, especially AI, and a healthy labor market. However, ...

As the year comes to an end, trading volume will likely be low, with people getting into the holiday mood. The post-election euphoria appeared to have fizzled out over the past 10 days with indexes retreating from their earlier highs attained over the past month after the Federal Reserve indicated fewer rate cuts next year.However, the holiday season is still not over, and people are spending aggressively, thanks to a steady rise in personal income over the past several months. This has been aiding the reta ...

The holiday buying season is here, but the familiar rush of shopping and seasonal jobs is taking on a new shape as online shopping continues to shift the work landscape. This year, retailers are expected to add 520,000 seasonal jobs, a drop from last year's 564,000, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The decline signals a larger trend: the growing dominance of e-commerce."If you look at the pre-pandemic levels and where we are today in holiday 2024, you've had a pretty consistent i ...

"In Between Stars and Scars: Masters of Cinema" Marks Yi Zhou's Documentary Debut, Now Streaming on Amazon Prime VideoThe first documentary by artist and filmmaker Yi Zhou, In Between Stars and Scars: Masters of Cinema, debuted on Amazon Prime Video on December 12, 2024.December 23, 2024 10:17 PM EST | Source: PlentisoftLos Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - December 23, 2024) - Yi Zhou's First Documentary Now Available on Amazon Prime VideoThe highly anticipated In Between Stars and Scars ...

In this podcast, Motley Fool analyst Asit Sharma and host Mary Long discuss:Disruptions to traditional car dealerships.Amazon's next potential venture.The rise and fall of GM's driverless ambitions.Then, Motley Fool analyst Jim Gillies and host Ricky Mulvey look at Aercap, an airline leasing company that sees debt as a "raw material."To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center. To get started investing, check out our beginner's guide to investing in stocks. A ...

As 2025 approaches, big technology (big tech) companies, Amazon (AMZN) , Meta Platform (META) , Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOGL) , are facing significant challenges in meeting their climate goals due to the escalating energy demands for deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and the accelerating demand for AI data centers.These companies have committed to combating climate change, pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 or earlier. These ambitious goals reflect a growing recognition of the ...

Two weeks before Black Friday, Amazon quietly added a new section to the top of its mobile app. Called Haul, it's a mobile-only area for ultra-low-price items, primarily shipped directly from China.  Haul is Amazon's answer to the booming popularity of apps such as PDD Holdings' Temu and fast-fashion retailer Shein. Amazon told CNBC that Haul has had millions of unique customer visits since it launched in November. Like Temu, Haul offers items at bargain prices, such as sneakers for $9.98, kitchenware for $ ...

Amazon (AMZN 0.73%) is one of the best-performing stocks of all time, up more than 200,000% since its IPO in 1997. A $1,000 investment back then would have turned into more than $2 million today.For early investors who held the stock, Amazon has delivered life-changing returns. It's done so by pioneering and establishing itself as a leader in two massive industries, e-commerce and cloud computing, and it has used that to support the growth of high-margin businesses like advertising, its third-party marketpl ...