The Motley Foolยท2025-05-20 08:56Core Viewpoint - Amazon is positioned to potentially join the $3 trillion market capitalization club by the end of 2026, driven by its leadership in e-commerce, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence [1][2]. Group 1: Market Capitalization and Growth Potential - Amazon currently has a market capitalization of $2.2 trillion, with a projected return of 36% for investors if it reaches the $3 trillion mark [2]. - The company generated $1.59 in earnings per share (EPS) during Q1, reflecting a 62% increase year-over-year, leading to a trailing-12-month EPS of $6.13 and a P/E ratio of 33.5 [14][16]. Group 2: Amazon Web Services (AWS) and AI Strategy - AWS is central to Amazon's AI strategy, focusing on hardware, large language models (LLMs), and software applications [4]. - AWS generated $29.2 billion in revenue in Q1 2025, a 17% increase from the previous year, contributing to 63% of Amazon's operating income [9][12]. - The introduction of the Trainium2 chip can reduce AI training costs by up to 40%, enhancing AWS's competitive edge [5]. Group 3: Competitive Positioning and Future Projections - AWS's AI revenue has seen triple-digit percentage growth, indicating a strong trajectory for future earnings [13]. - If Amazon's P/E ratio aligns with the average of its peers (38), projected EPS of $7.27 in 2026 could lead to a share price of $276.26, resulting in a market cap of approximately $2.95 trillion [17][18]. - Amazon's EPS growth outpaces that of competitors like Apple and Microsoft, suggesting a potential for a premium valuation [16].