These five are great starting points for nearly surefire bets for 2026.Finding stocks that are nearly unstoppable is a great way to pick investments. These companies are dominant in their industry with massive competitive advantages that make them very difficult to dethrone. Over the long term, stocks like this have proven to be the best investments time and time again, and filling your portfolio with these winners is a genius move.If you have $5,000 to deploy (or any amount, for that matter), I think these ...

Smart rings, smart screens, smart TVs, smart pins, smart … ice cube makers? Sure, why not! AI was everywhere at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where companies large and small were showing off how they’re bringing AI to more devices. For Amazon, CES was a time to show off its newest acquisition in the space: Bee, an AI device that can be worn as a clip-on pin or a bracelet.Amazon already has an entry in the AI consumer devices space with Alexa, whose upgraded AI-powered version, Al ...

Core Insights - Agentic AI has the potential to transform operational performance for companies and enhance individual access to information [1] Group 1 - Companies can leverage Agentic AI to improve their operational efficiency [1] - Individuals may benefit from enhanced information accessibility through the implementation of Agentic AI [1]

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street is increasingly focused on Amazon's ability to leverage improvements in AI execution at Amazon Web Services (AWS) to drive stock momentum in 2026 [1] Analyst Take - BofA Securities analyst Justin Post reiterated a Buy rating on Amazon with a price target of $303, highlighting that improved sentiment around AWS's AI capabilities could be a key driver for Amazon in 2026 after cloud concerns negatively impacted the stock in 2025 [2] - Amazon's stock gained 5% last year, underperforming the S&P 500's 16% rise and the Nasdaq's 20% gain, as strong retail execution and margin expansion were not enough to alleviate investor concerns regarding AWS's AI competitiveness [2] AWS Positioning and Growth Outlook - Weaker confidence in AWS's positioning contributed to a 15% year-over-year decline in Amazon's forward EV/EBITDA multiple [3] - Expectations for AWS growth to accelerate in 2026 are based on new capacity coming online and leadership changes that may enhance the company's AI narrative, alongside strong growth in Rufus usage supporting Amazon's retail business [3] - Long-term investors may benefit if AWS can leverage its proprietary technology, including large language models and Trainium chips, to improve its competitive stance and become a lower-cost provider as enterprises focus on AI inference cost efficiency [4] Valuation and Financial Estimates - Amazon is currently trading at approximately 11x Street 2027 EBITDA and 25x GAAP EPS, which is slightly above Microsoft Corp at 23x but below Alphabet Inc and Walmart Inc at 26x and 35x respectively [5] - The valuation reflects uncertainty regarding AWS's positioning, but Post considers Amazon the top large-cap internet stock for 2026 due to AWS AI exposure, anticipated cloud acceleration, and a strong retail position [6] - Projected GAAP operating income growth of over 20% in 2026 is supported by retail margin expansion driven by advertising growth, inbound efficiencies, robotics, and headcount leverage [6] - Revenue for 2026 is estimated to grow 12% year-over-year to $801 billion, with GAAP EPS projected at $7.75, while AWS revenue is estimated at $156 billion, slightly above the Street's estimate [7]

Core Insights - Amazon.com, Inc. is a global leader in e-commerce and cloud computing, competing with major players like Microsoft and Google in cloud services and Walmart in e-commerce [1] - Wells Fargo has set a price target of $301 for Amazon, indicating a potential increase of about 21.7% from its current price of $247.34 [2][6] - Amazon-backed Anthropic has launched Claude for Healthcare, a suite of AI tools aimed at improving medical environments and competing with OpenAI's ChatGPT Health [3][6] - Amazon's market capitalization is approximately $2.64 trillion, reflecting its significant market presence [4][6] - Recent stock performance shows a slight increase of 0.43%, with a trading range between $242.25 and $247.86 [4][6] - The company's investment in AI, particularly in healthcare, is expected to drive future growth and impact stock performance [5]

Italy's antitrust authority said on Monday it had reduced a record fine imposed on U.S e-commerce giant Amazon to 752.4 million euros ($878.20 million) from an original amount of 1.128 billion euros. ...

As the artificial-intelligence trade heats up, the search for tangible returns on investment continues. That could lead to a shakeup of the "Magnificent Seven†leaderboard, with Amazon.com and Meta Pl... ...

Group 1 - India is considering a proposal that would require smartphone manufacturers, including Apple and Samsung, to disclose their source code and implement software changes to enhance security [1][2] - The proposal includes 83 security standards and mandates companies to notify the government of major software updates, aligning with Prime Minister Modi's initiative to improve user data security in India, which has nearly 750 million devices [2] - Industry giants like Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi have raised concerns that these unprecedented standards could expose proprietary information [3] Group 2 - The Indian government recently scrapped a mandatory cyber safety app due to surveillance concerns but continues to enforce strict security testing for cameras amid fears of Chinese spying [4] - This move follows increasing global scrutiny of major tech companies, with Apple facing a $115 million fine in Italy for alleged abuse of its dominant position in the mobile app market [5] - Other tech giants, including Google, Meta, Amazon, Netflix, and Microsoft, are reportedly avoiding new European regulations under the EU's upcoming Digital Networks Act, which aims to enhance competitiveness and investment in broadband and fiber infrastructure [6]

Core Viewpoint - Amazon, with a market cap of $2.63 trillion, still has significant growth potential despite its mature top line, particularly through profitability improvements and advancements in generative AI [1]. Group 1: Generative AI and Cloud Infrastructure - Amazon's success is attributed to its ability to pivot to new opportunities, such as transitioning from an online bookstore to a comprehensive e-commerce platform and then to cloud computing with AWS [2]. - AWS provides the necessary cloud infrastructure for generative AI, giving Amazon a competitive edge in the industry [3]. - Amazon's partnership with Anthropic, a leading LLM developer, allows it to benefit from equity ownership (15% to 19%) and ensures that Anthropic uses AWS for its cloud needs, enhancing Amazon's operating income [4]. Group 2: Cost-Cutting and Robotics - Amazon is leveraging AI to improve internal operations, with expectations of reducing its corporate workforce through efficiency gains, which could lead to better operating margins [6]. - In 2025, Amazon laid off 14,000 corporate workers, and reports suggest an additional 30,000 layoffs may occur in 2026, potentially saving up to $4 billion annually based on average salaries [7][8]. - The company is also exploring robotics in its warehouse operations to reduce reliance on human labor, which could save costs and mitigate high turnover rates [9]. Group 3: Stock Valuation - Amazon's stock trades at a forward P/E multiple of 30, which is above the S&P 500 average of 22, but this premium is justified by the company's potential for growth driven by generative AI and operational improvements [11].

Core Viewpoint - The "Magnificent Seven" companies, including Amazon and Alphabet, are positioned for significant growth driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), which is projected to create trillions in economic value in the coming years [1]. Group 1: Amazon - Amazon has generated substantial wealth for investors over the past 20 years, benefiting from diverse revenue streams such as advertising, merchant services, and subscriptions, while leading the $390 billion cloud computing market [3][4]. - In Q3, Amazon's total revenue increased by 13% year over year, reaching $180 billion, although free cash flow has declined due to increased capital expenditures aimed at supporting growth [4][6]. - The company spent nearly $120 billion on capital expenditures over the trailing 12 months, a 72% year-over-year increase, raising concerns about margin pressure, but historical trends suggest higher profitability following such investment cycles [6][7]. - Amazon's stock has delivered a 700% return over the last decade, with free cash flow expected to grow from $7 billion in 2015 to $20 billion in 2025, and analysts project it will exceed $142 billion by 2029, indicating a 63% annualized growth rate [8]. Group 2: Alphabet - Alphabet is experiencing growth from the rising demand for AI cloud services and advertising, with revenue expected to increase by 14% in 2026, reaching $455 billion [9]. - The company has been investing in AI since 2015, enhancing the effectiveness of ad spending across its platforms, which has resulted in more personalized ads for its 2 billion users [10]. - Google Search revenue surged by 16% year over year in Q3, with the recent launch of AI Max expected to further enhance ad relevance by matching advertisers with a broader range of search queries [11]. - Alphabet's stock has returned 783% over the last decade, with free cash flow projected to grow from $16 billion in 2015 to $65 billion in 2025, and analysts expect it to reach $157 billion by 2029, potentially doubling the share price within five years [14].