Are Analysts Overly Optimistic on Amazon After Earnings?

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) reported its most recent quarterly results after the markets closed on Thursday and absolutely knocked it out of the park. In Friday’s session, the stock saw one of its single biggest runs in recent memory, and analysts cheered it all the way up. Also, this move puts Amazon in the $1 trillion market cap club with the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet.

24/7 Wall St. has included some highlights from the report, as well as what analysts are saying about the stock after the fact.

The e-commerce empire said that it had $6.47 in earnings per share (EPS) and $87.4 billion in revenue, which compares with consensus estimates of $4.03 in EPS and $86.02 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had $6.04 in EPS and $72.38 billion in revenue.

During the most recent quarter, Amazon Web Services (AWS) revenues increased 34.0% to $9.95 billion, up from $7.43 billion in the same period of last year, with operating income of $2.60 billion.

North American net sales increased 21.6% to $53.67 billion, with operating income of $1.90 billion, and International sales increased 14.3% to $23.81 billion, with an operating loss of $617 million.

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Merrill Lynch reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price objective to $2,480 from $2,330. The brokerage firm offered its investment rationale as follows:

Amazon is an eCommerce leader with market share and margin potential stemming from its global scale, fulfillment footprint and technology platform investments. We think Amazon’s focus on the customers and the buyer experience is right for the Internet, and we consider Amazon a transformational company. We think Amazon is well positioned to capitalize on the global growth of eCommerce and other secular trends such as cloud computing, online advertising, connected devices, and mobile commerce.

Credit Suisse reiterated an Outperform rating and raised its price target to $2,400 from $2,100. The firm was quick to point out that all the investor questions around return on invested capital were answered as accelerating unit growth provided the rationale for the one-day-related step-up in shipping and fulfillment costs. Credit Suisse also believes that the $30 billion in performance obligations for AWS serves as the rebuttal to the sales force/marketing dollar ramp.

Here’s what some other analysts had to say:

• Wedbush reiterated it as Outperform and raised its price target to $2,325 from $2,000.
• CFRA reiterated its Buy rating and raised its price target from $1,950 to $2,300.
• RBC reiterated an Outperform rating and raised its price target to $2,700 from $2,500.
• Cowen reiterated an Outperform rating and raised its price target to $2,650 from $2,400.
• Stifel reiterated it as Buy and raised its price target from $2,150 to $2,400.
• Pivotal Research reiterated it as Buy and raised its price target to $2,450 from $2,250.
• UBS reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price target from $2,305 to $2,440.
• KeyBanc reiterated its Overweight rating and raised its target price to $2,400 from $2,200.
• Raymond James reiterated it at Outperform and raised its target price to $2,400 from $2,020.
• Wells Fargo reiterated its Overweight rating and raised its price target to $2,500 from $2,300.
• Credit Suisse reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its target to $2,400 from $2,100.
• Mizuho reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target price from $2,150 to $2,400.
• Goldman Sachs reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $2,600 from $2,200.

Shares of Amazon traded up about 9% at $2,035.96 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $1,566.76 to $2,055.72. The consensus price target is $2,191.96.

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