Amazon's 'magic number' is AWS growth, says Roth MKM's Rohit Kulkarni

Core Insights - Amazon's shares surged nearly 9% following a strong earnings report, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) revenue increasing by 20% year-on-year, reaching $33 billion in Q3 [1][2] - The growth rate of AWS is the fastest seen in several quarters, indicating a positive trend in cloud and AI services [2] - Investors are optimistic about AWS's performance obligations and capital expenditures (capex), which are expected to rise from the current $120 billion to around $127-128 billion next year [5] AWS Performance - AWS's revenue growth and the acceleration of Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) are key indicators of future cloud growth [4] - The wider the gap between revenue growth and RPO growth, the more bullish investor sentiment will be [4] Retail Segment - Retail is undergoing a long-term shift towards profitable growth, with Amazon focusing on controlled investments and improving profitability through advertising [7][8] - The company is expected to face challenges in Q4 due to discounting and shipping costs, but guidance for operating income is anticipated to be wider due to the variability in retail outcomes [7] Advertising Growth - Amazon is enhancing its advertising capabilities, moving beyond just bottom-of-funnel conversions to a more comprehensive advertising solution [10] - Partnerships with platforms like Pinterest and the integration of Prime Video are positioning Amazon as a significant advertising partner for brands outside of its traditional retail space [10]