Amazon's Earnings Potential Looks Strong Over Next Three Years
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 day ago
0mins
Should l Buy AMZN?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Retail Growth: Amazon's North American sales grew 10% year-over-year in 2025, reaching $426 billion, with profit margins steadily increasing to 9%, indicating sustained competitiveness in e-commerce and expected further profit growth in the coming years.
- Cloud Services Strength: Amazon Web Services (AWS) achieved a 24% year-over-year growth rate in 2025, totaling $129 billion in sales, and with a planned $200 billion capital expenditure, AWS revenue is projected to approach $250 billion over the next three years, further solidifying its market leadership.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: If AWS and North American retail can achieve operating earnings of $75 billion and $50 billion respectively, the combined total would reach $125 billion, and with contributions from international retail, overall earnings could hit $150 billion, showcasing Amazon's robust profit potential.
- Attractive Market Valuation: With a current market cap of $2.2 trillion, Amazon's earnings ratio is projected to be under 15 based on future earnings estimates, indicating that the stock is relatively cheap today, making it a suitable buy for investors through 2026 and beyond.
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Analyst Views on AMZN
Wall Street analysts forecast AMZN stock price to rise
47 Analyst Rating
46 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 199.600
Low
250.00
Averages
294.69
High
340.00
Current: 199.600
Low
250.00
Averages
294.69
High
340.00
About AMZN
Amazon.com, Inc. provides a range of products and services to customers. The products offered through its stores include merchandise and content it has purchased for resale and products offered by third-party sellers. The Company’s segments include North America, International and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It serves consumers through its online and physical stores and focuses on selection, price, and convenience. Customers access its offerings through its websites, mobile apps, Alexa, devices, streaming, and physically visiting its stores. It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablet, Fire TV, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero, and develops and produces media content. It serves developers and enterprises of all sizes, including start-ups, government agencies, and academic institutions, through AWS, which offers a set of on-demand technology services, including compute, storage, database, analytics, and machine learning, and other services.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Capital Expenditure Plans: Amazon plans to increase capital expenditures to $200 billion by 2026, a 56% rise from $128 billion in 2025, raising investor concerns about the company's financial health, particularly regarding its significant investments in AI infrastructure.
- Accelerating Cloud Growth: Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw a 24% revenue increase in Q4, the fastest growth in 13 quarters, with CEO Andy Jassy noting that the custom chip business has surpassed a $10 billion annual revenue run rate, indicating that AI investments are beginning to yield returns.
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- AWS Growth Acceleration: Amazon's cloud computing platform, AWS, grew at a pace of 24% in Q4, marking the fastest growth in 13 quarters, highlighting its critical role in AI model development and enhancing Amazon's competitive position in the market.
- Valuation Pullback Justified: Despite significant revenue and earnings growth, Amazon's stock has declined by approximately 7% since 2025, with its PE ratio dropping to 26.5 times, reflecting a market reassessment of its valuation, potentially providing a reasonable buying opportunity for investors.
- Capital Expenditure Plans: Amazon plans to invest $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, primarily for data center construction, which may impact cash flows; however, if AI computing demand continues to grow, this investment will support future business expansion.
- Investor Confidence Recovery: Although the Motley Fool analyst team did not include Amazon in their current best stock picks, analysts believe that Amazon is poised for a stock rebound in 2026, indicating a recovery in market confidence regarding its future performance.
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- Cash Flow Status: Alphabet generated $165 billion in operating cash flow in 2025 and is expected to maintain positive free cash flow despite increased spending, whereas Amazon's operating cash flow of $140 billion is not growing as fast, risking negative cash flow.
- Backlog Growth: Alphabet's backlog reached $240 billion, up 55% sequentially, indicating strong demand for AI products; Amazon's backlog also grew by 22% to $244 billion, reflecting robust market demand in the cloud computing sector for both companies.
- Market Reaction: Despite the significant investment potential in AI, the market reacted negatively to both companies' spending plans, leading to stock price declines, which may present buying opportunities for long-term investors considering their strong competitive positions in high-return areas.
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- Financial Performance Analysis: These companies report strong revenue growth in their financial statements; however, market uncertainties could impact future profitability, necessitating investor attention to shifts in macroeconomic indicators.
- Investor Strategy Adjustments: In light of market risks, investors may need to reassess their portfolios, considering a more balanced allocation between tech stocks and other sectors to mitigate potential losses.
- Industry Outlook: Although the performance of tech giants may mask underlying market issues, the long-term growth of the sector still relies on innovation and the stability of market demand.
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- Successful Rocket Launch: The French president celebrated the successful launch of Europe's most powerful rocket, which deployed 32 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit, marking a significant advancement in Europe's space capabilities and enhancing its competitiveness in the global space market.
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- Apple Court Victory: Apple secured a courtroom win as a jury rejected claims from Optis Wireless that it infringed on 4G wireless patents, a result that will help protect Apple's intellectual property and strengthen its market position.
- AI Industry Developments: Elon Musk criticized AI startup Anthropic for alleged bias while announcing a $30 billion funding round that pushed its valuation to $380 billion, highlighting the intense competition and rapid evolution within the AI sector.
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