Amazon stock sinks after company touts $200 billion AI spending plans, offers cautious profit outlook

Core Insights - Amazon reported disappointing Q1 operating income estimates and a significant increase in capital expenditures for 2026, leading to a sharp decline in its stock price [1][2]. Financial Performance - For Q4, Amazon's earnings per share (EPS) were $1.95 on revenue of $213.4 billion, slightly below analyst expectations of $1.96 EPS and $211.5 billion in revenue [4]. - The AWS segment generated revenue of $35.6 billion, exceeding expectations of $34.9 billion [4]. - Advertising revenue reached $21.3 billion, while online store sales amounted to $83 billion [4]. Capital Expenditures - Amazon plans to allocate over $200 billion for capital expenditures in 2026, a significant increase from the $125 billion budgeted for 2025 [2][3]. - CEO Andy Jassy highlighted strong demand for existing offerings and opportunities in AI, chips, robotics, and low-earth orbit satellites as reasons for the increased investment [3]. Market Context - Amazon's results followed Google's earnings report, which showed better-than-expected results but also announced a substantial increase in AI spending to $185 billion for 2026 [5]. - Other tech companies like Meta and Microsoft are also increasing their AI investments, with varying market reactions [6]. Organizational Changes - Amazon is implementing job cuts of 16,000 positions to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy [6]. - The company is closing some Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores, replacing them with Whole Foods locations [7].