Amazon's business partnership with luxury retailer Saks Global has hit a sour note. The e-commerce giant invested $475 million of preferred equity in Saks Global — the owner of department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman — in December 2024.Now, Amazon says its stake is "presumptively worthless," and it has asked a federal judge to reject the retailer's bankruptcy financing plans, which it says will further diminish its chances of recovery. "That equity investment is now presum ...

Core Viewpoint - Blue-chip stocks are expected to lead the US equity market in 2026, driven by a resilient economy and the artificial intelligence boom [1] Economic Context - The Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached an all-time high, reflecting strong investor sentiment towards large blue-chip companies, with a rally extending beyond mega-cap technology into industrial, financial, and biotechnology sectors [2] - Interest rate cuts are anticipated to support the outlook for mega-cap stocks, with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicating a "shallow but steady" path for rate reductions, allowing equity strategists to raise price targets for blue-chip stocks [3][4] - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that lower interest rates are crucial for accelerating economic growth, which aligns with Goldman Sachs' expectation of a cyclical upturn benefiting large-cap stocks [4] Investment Methodology - A list of blue-chip ETFs was analyzed to identify stocks with over 20% upside potential as of January 15, along with the number of hedge funds holding stakes in these stocks as of Q3 2025 [6] Company Highlights - **BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:BLK)**: - Identified as a top blue-chip stock for 2026 with a 21.01% upside potential and 63 hedge fund holders [8][9] - Plans to invest $333.6 million in Aditya Birla Renewables Limited, enhancing its position in the renewable energy sector [10] - Morgan Stanley has set a price target of $1,514 for BlackRock, citing its expansion in private markets and technology solutions [11][12] - **Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN)**: - Recognized as another leading blue-chip stock for 2026 with a 21.47% upside potential and 332 hedge fund holders [13] - Analysts at Evercore ISI have set a price target of $335, highlighting growth driven by its AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, which is expected to increase retail gross merchandise volume by 4.44% by 2028 [14][15] - Amazon's cloud unit has partnered with Infosys to enhance enterprise services using generative AI, integrating Topaz AI services with AWS [16][17]

Rio Tinto said on Thursday it would supply copper that it leaches from an Arizona mine to Amazon.com for use in the tech giant's artificial intelligence data centers. ...

Walmart is betting on interoperability and ease of integration, while Amazon is prioritizing speed, control and closed ecosystems.Amazon is pushing physical retail and proprietary frictionless tech, while Walmart is driving digital strategy through open, agentic AI commerce standards with Google.The retail landscape is officially closer to 2050 than it is 2000. That is redefining the traditional roles of Amazon and Walmart as both seek to compete, win, and push the boundaries of innovation across retail and ...

Amazon wants a federal judge to reject Saks Global's bankruptcy financing plan, writing in court papers the beleaguered department store "burned through hundreds of millions of dollars in less than a year" and failed to hold up their agreement. When Saks acquired Neiman Marcus for $2.7 billion in December 2024, Amazon invested $475 million into the venture on the grounds the retailer would start selling its products on Amazon's website and the tech company would offer technology and logistics expertise."Tha ...

AI sign displayed on a screen and Amazon logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on December 23, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesAs of January 14, 2026, Amazon stock (NASDAQ: AMZN) has achieved an 11% return in the last year, falling behind several mega-cap tech rivals such as Google (78%) and Microsoft (14%). Despite leading in revenue scale at $670.038 billion, its profitability (11.37% operating margin) ...

While much of the lackluster enthusiasm surrounding Amazon's AMZN stock has been due to fears of market-share losses for Amazon Web Services, Raymond James has highlighted another AI challenge that the company faces — this time, in its retail business. Amazon.com has struggled to convince investors that it's a top artificial-intelligence player among the Big Tech names, and even bulls acknowledge that there are challenges ahead of the company. ...

1. Wells Fargo crowns AMD the new chip king. The bank upgraded semiconductor stocks this morning with AMD as its top pick—a bold call considering Nvidia's dominance. AMD crushed both the market and NVDA in 2025, posting 90% gains versus Nvidia's 37%. The stock jumped 6.5% this week to $223.60, with RSI at 57 showing room to run before overbought territory. Wells Fargo sees AMD's data center momentum and MI300 AI accelerators gaining share against Nvidia's H100/H200 lineup. With earnings due February 3rd and ...

Amazon is reportedly challenging luxury retailer Saks Global’s bankruptcy filing.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.The eCommerce giant accuses the company of breaking an agreement on the sale of Saks ...

Core Viewpoint - Copper produced by Rio Tinto in Arizona using bacteria and acid will be utilized for data-center construction [1] Company Summary - Rio Tinto is employing innovative methods involving bacteria and acid for copper production [1] - The copper produced is specifically aimed at supporting the construction of data centers, indicating a strategic focus on the technology sector [1] Industry Summary - The use of copper in data-center construction highlights the growing demand for this metal in the technology industry [1] - The production method involving bacteria and acid reflects a trend towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly mining practices within the industry [1]