Amazon's Diminished Free Cash Flow Makes It 'Difficult To Own:' Jim Cramer

Core Viewpoint - Amazon.com Inc. is facing challenges due to a significant decline in free cash flow, primarily driven by increased capital expenditures related to artificial intelligence and cloud expansion, making it a difficult investment choice [1][2]. Financial Performance - Amazon's free cash flow is projected to decline sharply through 2025 and into early 2026, with specific quarterly figures indicating a drop from $25.9 billion in Q1 2025 to $11.2 billion in Q4 2025 [2]. - The company plans to increase capital expenditures to approximately $200 billion in 2026, representing a $70 billion year-over-year increase [2]. Market Position and Strategy - Jim Cramer has shifted his perspective on Amazon, previously defending it during a selloff, but now acknowledges that it has transitioned from being perceived as cheap to expensive for many investors [4]. - Cramer has identified Alphabet Inc. as a more attractive investment within the mega-cap tech sector due to its aggressive AI infrastructure initiatives [4]. Investment Metrics - Amazon's Benzinga Edge scorecard indicates a weak value score of 58.94, suggesting the stock is trading at a premium compared to peers [6]. - The company has a strong quality score of 71.7, reflecting robust financial health and profitability [6]. - However, Amazon's momentum score is weak at 14.69, indicating underperformance relative to the broader market [6].