Core Viewpoint - Amazon reported strong earnings with a top-line beat and significant growth in AWS, yet the stock fell due to concerns over a $200 billion capital expenditure plan for 2026 [1][2][6]. Financial Performance - Net sales reached $213.4 billion, reflecting a 14% year-over-year increase [6]. - Operating income was reported at $25.0 billion, or $27.4 billion when excluding one-time charges [6]. - Net income stood at $21.2 billion, translating to $1.95 per diluted share [6]. - AWS sales amounted to $35.6 billion, marking a 24% year-over-year growth [6]. - Free cash flow decreased to $11.2 billion from $38.2 billion a year earlier [10]. - Operating cash flow increased by 20% to $139.5 billion [10]. AWS Significance - AWS continues to be a critical component of Amazon's business, with operating income from AWS at $12.5 billion in Q4 [5]. - The growth of AWS exceeded expectations and accelerated as more capacity became available [5]. Market Reaction - Despite strong earnings, the stock fell by as much as 9% due to investor concerns about the capital expenditure plan [1][2]. - The market is currently evaluating whether major tech companies are shifting from "asset-light" models to capital-heavy operations, which adds to the apprehension surrounding Amazon's spending plans [8]. Strategic Outlook - The $200 billion capital expenditure target is viewed as a necessary investment to maintain competitiveness in AI and cloud services, rather than a sign of financial strength [2][7].

On Thursday, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) pushed back against Wall Street's growing skepticism over soaring AI-related capital expenditures. Amazon Pushes Back On AI CapEx Concerns During the company's fourth-quarter earnings call, Amazon addressed investor concerns around its aggressive spending on AI and data center infrastructure, arguing the investments are already producing returns. Responding to questions from Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney about long-term return on invested capital, CFO Brian ...

Amazon - Amazon is a dominant player in e-commerce and cloud computing, benefiting long-term shareholders through innovation and multiple revenue streams [3][8] - The company's online retail business has a competitive advantage due to its extensive infrastructure and same-day delivery capabilities, with its AI-powered shopping assistant reaching 250 million active users and projected to generate $10 billion in incremental annualized sales by 2025 [4][6] - Amazon's advertising revenue has an annual run rate of $85 billion, with a 22% year-over-year increase in the fourth quarter, positioning the company to benefit from the shift of ad spending to digital platforms [6] - Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a key growth driver, with a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in the fourth quarter, contributing to approximately half of Amazon's profits [7] - Analysts project Amazon's earnings per share to grow at an annualized rate of 17% in the coming years, indicating strong prospects for the business [8] Booking Holdings - Booking Holdings operates several well-known travel platforms, including Booking.com and Priceline, and has built a competitive advantage through loyalty rewards and its Connected Trips initiative [9] - The company reported 323 million room nights in the third quarter, an 8% year-over-year increase, leading to a 13% rise in revenue and a 19% increase in adjusted earnings per share [11] - Management targets 8% annual growth in gross bookings and revenue, aiming for a 15% rise in adjusted earnings, while investing in AI capabilities for personalized recommendations [12] - With a consistent operating history and prospects for double-digit earnings growth, Booking Holdings is positioned as a strong investment in the growing travel industry [13]

Group 1 - Microsoft's stock has declined 11% in 2026, with a significant drop of 10% following its Q2 fiscal year 2026 earnings report [1][2] - The S&P 500 has only increased by 1%, indicating that Microsoft faces challenges in outperforming the market despite its current low price [2] - Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing division, is identified as a key factor that could enable the company to outperform the market in 2026 [2][4] Group 2 - Cloud computing is essential for AI development, as smaller companies cannot afford to build their own data centers, leading them to rely on large tech firms like Microsoft [4] - Microsoft does not disclose Azure's individual profit margins, but competitors AWS and Google Cloud reported operating margins of 35% and 24% respectively [5] - It is estimated that Azure's operating margins are likely between 25% to 35%, which may be lower than Microsoft's overall operating margin of around 47% [6] Group 3 - Azure is the fastest-growing segment for Microsoft, with a revenue growth rate of 39% in Q2 [8] - Microsoft's overall growth rate for Q2 was 17%, with Microsoft 365 Consumer Cloud being the next fastest-growing segment at 29% [8][9] - The growth of cloud computing is expected to continue driving Microsoft's performance in the coming years [9]

Company Overview - Khaveen Investments is a global investment advisory firm serving high-net-worth individuals, corporations, associations, and institutions [1] - The firm is a registered investment adviser with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) [1] - It offers comprehensive services including market and security research, business valuation, and wealth management [1] Investment Strategy - The flagship Macroquantamental Hedge Fund maintains a diversified portfolio with exposure to hundreds of investments across various asset classes, geographies, sectors, and industries [1] - The investment approach integrates top-down and bottom-up analysis, blending three core strategies: global macro, fundamental, and quantitative [1] Core Expertise - The firm's core expertise lies in disruptive technologies reshaping modern industries, including Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, 5G, Autonomous and Electric Vehicles, FinTech, Augmented and Virtual Reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT) [1]

Core Insights - Amazon remains the leader in cloud computing despite losing market share to Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, with AWS reporting a 20% growth compared to Google Cloud's 36% and Azure's 39% in 2025 [1][2][5] Group 1: Market Position and Growth - Amazon's AWS generated over $21.2 billion in revenue in 2025, significantly outpacing Google Cloud's $15.5 billion growth and Azure's approximately $19 billion growth [5] - AWS's annualized run rate reached $142 billion, with a year-over-year growth of 24%, marking its fastest revenue growth in 13 quarters [3][6] - AWS's chips business, focused on AI, achieved a $10 billion annual revenue run rate, growing at triple digits [3] Group 2: Financial Performance - In 2025, AWS operating income rose to $45.6 billion, compared to $13.9 billion for Google Cloud, highlighting AWS's profitability advantage [6] - Amazon's total revenue for the quarter increased by 14% to $213.4 billion, with operating income up 18% to $25 billion [10] Group 3: Capital Expenditure and Future Outlook - Amazon plans to invest $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2025, primarily for AWS and AI workloads, indicating a commitment to maintaining its leadership position [6] - The company generated $139.5 billion in operating cash flow in 2025, suggesting that the $200 billion target may lead to negative free cash flow in 2026 [10] - The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of less than 30, with adjustments indicating it is fairly valued, though the spending boom may limit short-term upside potential [11]

Core Insights - The February earnings season has revealed buying opportunities for investors as several companies have delivered strong results, particularly Alphabet and Advanced Micro Devices [1][2]. Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) - Alphabet reported Q4 2025 revenue of approximately $113.8 billion, reflecting an 18% year-over-year growth, with earnings per share at about $2.82, exceeding market expectations [3]. - For the full year, Alphabet's revenue surpassed $400 billion for the first time, showcasing the strength and resilience of its core businesses [3]. - The company's advertising engine remains a key attraction, with search and digital advertising generating substantial cash flow, while Google Cloud showed strong double-digit growth, reinforcing its long-term growth potential [4]. - Alphabet's expanding AI ecosystem, with deeper integration across various services, positions the company to unlock additional revenue streams, supported by strong cash generation and balance-sheet flexibility [5]. - Over the past year, GOOGL shares have increased by more than 70%, trading at $323 [6]. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) - AMD reported quarterly revenue of about $10.3 billion, a 34% increase from the previous year, with net income rising to around $1.5 billion and diluted earnings per share at $0.92 [7]. - On a non-GAAP basis, earnings per share reached approximately $1.53, with a non-GAAP gross margin of about 57% [7]. - AMD's growth is driven by its exposure to data center and AI-related workloads, with EPYC server processors and AI accelerators gaining traction among enterprises and cloud providers [8]. - The company's improving profitability and diversified product portfolio reduce reliance on any single market segment, positioning AMD well for sustained investment in AI and cloud computing throughout 2026 [9]. - AMD stock was trading at $208.44, having rallied almost 100% over the past year [9].

Core Insights - Khaveen Investments is a global investment advisory firm focused on serving high-net-worth individuals, corporations, associations, and institutions [1] - The firm is a registered investment adviser with the SEC and offers a range of services including market and security research, business valuation, and wealth management [1] - The flagship Macroquantamental Hedge Fund maintains a diversified portfolio across various asset classes, geographies, sectors, and industries [1] - The investment approach integrates top-down and bottom-up analysis, utilizing three core strategies: global macro, fundamental, and quantitative [1] - The firm specializes in disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, 5G, Autonomous and Electric Vehicles, FinTech, Augmented and Virtual Reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT) [1]

Core Insights - Amazon.com (AMZN) reported fourth-quarter 2025 earnings of $1.95 per share, a 5% increase year-over-year, but fell short of consensus estimates by 1.52% [1] - Net sales reached $213.4 billion, a 14% year-over-year increase, exceeding management's guidance and consensus estimates [2] - The company's net income was $21.2 billion, up 6% year-over-year, while operating income was impacted by special charges totaling $2.4 billion [3] Financial Performance - Product sales increased 9% year-over-year to $90 billion, while service sales rose 17% to $123.4 billion [4] - AWS revenues grew 24% year-over-year to $35.6 billion, marking the fastest growth rate in 13 quarters [5] - Operating income was reported at $25 billion, which included special charges; excluding these, it would have been $27.4 billion [3][26] Segment Performance - North America revenues rose 10% year-over-year to $127.1 billion, while international revenues increased 17% to $50.7 billion [4] - AWS segment operating income was $12.5 billion, up 17% year-over-year, with an operating margin of 35% [27] Advertising and Third-Party Sales - Sales from advertising services increased 22% year-over-year to $21.3 billion, reflecting strong performance in digital advertising [8] - Sales generated by third-party seller services rose 11.2% year-over-year to $52.8 billion, with worldwide paid units growing 12% [7] AI and Cloud Innovations - AWS's custom chips business has an annual revenue run rate of over $10 billion, growing at triple-digit percentages [16] - Amazon introduced Graviton5, its most advanced CPU for cloud workloads, which is up to 40% more price-performant than leading x86 processors [19] Delivery and Logistics - Amazon achieved record delivery speeds for Prime members, with nearly 70% more items delivered same day compared to the previous year [23] - The company expanded its ultra-fast delivery services to various regions, including India and Mexico [24] Capital Expenditures and Guidance - Amazon plans to invest approximately $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, primarily for AWS, a significant increase from $125 billion in 2025 [30] - For Q1 2026, Amazon anticipates net sales between $173.5 billion and $178.5 billion, reflecting 11% to 15% growth year-over-year [31]

Core Insights - The BRES ETF employs a factor-based investment strategy that adapts to changing market conditions, focusing on growth, valuation, profitability, quality, and momentum [1] - The strategy incorporates digital footprint analysis using alternative data signals to identify companies with revenue potential not captured by traditional financial analysis, particularly favoring large-cap technology firms benefiting from structural growth themes like AI, cloud computing, and semiconductors [2] - The ETF aims for diversification with a portfolio of 80 to 100 stocks, which is broader than some separate accounts, and includes portfolio rebalancing to help reduce capital gains taxes for investors [3] Company Strategy - Burney's President, Lowell Pratt, stated that the firm's core competency lies in managing equity investments, and this strategy is being expanded into ETFs to reach a larger client base in a tax-efficient manner [4] - The fund was created through a tax-free conversion to facilitate the transition for existing clients [4] - BRES is entering the competitive U.S. equity ETF market, where differentiation is based on factor methodology, portfolio construction, and cost efficiency, utilizing both traditional quantitative research and alternative data sources [5]