Alibaba Leads Year-to-Date Performance in Broadline Retail Stocks
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 19 2025
0mins
Should l Buy AMZN?
Source: SeekingAlpha
Consumer Discretionary Sector Performance: The S&P 500 consumer discretionary sector has gained +7.2% year-to-date in 2025, underperforming compared to the overall S&P 500, which has a higher performance. The sector ranks eighth among 11 major sectors, while the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) has increased by +9.1% YTD.
Top Performing Retail Stocks: Alibaba Group leads the top 10 broadline retail stocks with a YTD performance of +73.75%, followed by Kohl’s Corporation and Dillard’s, Inc. Other notable companies include Vipshop Holdings and Macy’s, with most stocks rated as 'Hold' in terms of Quant Rating.
Amazon's Performance: Amazon.com ranks last among the listed stocks with a YTD performance of +3.36%, but it holds the highest Quant Rating of 'Strong Buy 4.94', indicating strong investor confidence despite its lower performance.
Additional Consumer Discretionary ETFs: The article mentions several consumer discretionary ETFs, including XLY, VCR, FXD, FDIS, RSPD, and RXI, suggesting a variety of investment options within the sector.
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Analyst Views on AMZN
Wall Street analysts forecast AMZN stock price to rise
44 Analyst Rating
41 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 210.140
Low
175.00
Averages
280.01
High
325.00
Current: 210.140
Low
175.00
Averages
280.01
High
325.00
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.
Amazon's E-Commerce Potential Underappreciated Amid AI Concerns
- E-Commerce Profit Potential: Amazon's North American retail division achieved a 6.9% profit margin last year, indicating strong profitability in its e-commerce business, with expectations of easily reaching 10% and potentially 15% in the coming years.
- Advertising Growth: The growth in higher-margin segments like advertising is expanding Amazon's overall profit pool, and while investments in new projects may compress margins in the short term, they are expected to create long-term value.
- Low Stock Valuation: Amazon's current P/E ratio of 28.5 is among its lowest historically, reflecting the market's underestimation of its future profit potential, especially as retail could reach $750 billion in revenue in the next few years.
- Importance of Cost Control: Amazon must maintain cost discipline over the next decade to ensure steady growth in its international market revenue of $162 billion, which will drive overall profitability improvements.
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Alibaba Targets $100 Billion in Cloud and AI Revenue
- Strategic Transformation Goal: Alibaba aims to achieve over $100 billion in annual revenue from its cloud and AI businesses within the next five years, indicating a shift from a commerce-driven model to a technology platform, and while short-term earnings have declined, this goal reflects confidence in future growth.
- Cloud Revenue Momentum: In its latest earnings report, Alibaba reported approximately 36% year-over-year growth in cloud revenue, primarily driven by AI-related workloads, demonstrating that AI demand is becoming a significant part of the company's business, with AI-related revenue growing at triple-digit rates for multiple consecutive quarters.
- Market Opportunity and Competition: Analysts predict that the AI cloud market in China could reach $253 billion by 2033, with Alibaba facing intense competition from companies like Tencent, Huawei, and ByteDance domestically, while globally, it competes with established players like Amazon and Microsoft.
- Investment and Risks: While Alibaba's $100 billion target is attractive, achieving it requires substantial investments in building data centers and scaling computing capacity, and the monetization of AI remains evolving, prompting investors to consider the company's long-term positioning and execution risks in the technology market.
See More
CITIGROUP INCREASES AMAZON'S TARGET PRICE TO $285, UP FROM $265
- Amazon's Stock Analysis: Citigroup has raised its price target for Amazon's stock from $265 to $285.
- Market Implications: This adjustment reflects Citigroup's positive outlook on Amazon's performance in the market.
See More
Future Outlook and Investment Strategies for AI Stocks
- AI Market Growth: Over the past few years, AI stocks have propelled the S&P 500 higher, particularly companies like Nvidia, CoreWeave, and Nebius, which have achieved explosive revenue growth in double and triple digits through AI tool sales, highlighting the immense potential and market demand for AI technology.
- Investor Rotation: Despite recent volatility in AI stocks, investors may shift towards companies that have underperformed in the AI sector but possess broader business operations, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle, which not only rely on AI growth but also generate stable revenue from other areas.
- Apple's Potential: After launching AI features in 2024, Apple may benefit from increased customer engagement with its devices, and although it entered the AI market later, its loyal customer base and ongoing service growth will support future expansion.
- Safety of Market Giants: Cloud computing giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle are favored by investors due to their diversified revenue streams, which provide a sense of security amid geopolitical and economic uncertainties, allowing them to capitalize on the surging demand for AI while mitigating risks.
See More
Billionaire Ackman Bets Big on AI Stocks
- Portfolio Focus: Billionaire Bill Ackman has concentrated 55% of his $15.5 billion portfolio in four AI stocks through Pershing Square Capital Management, reflecting strong confidence in the artificial intelligence sector.
- Stock Allocation: Ackman's investments include Uber (15.9%), Amazon (14.28%), Alphabet (13.83%), and Meta (11.37%), all of which possess sustainable competitive advantages, indicating his focus on AI applications.
- Significant Sales Growth: Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud achieved sales growth of 24% and 48% respectively in the fourth quarter, demonstrating the positive impact of AI integration on their businesses and further solidifying their market leadership.
- Attractive Valuations: Ackman sees value in Uber's forward P/E ratio of 17 and Amazon's projected cash flow P/E ratio of just 9.6, indicating that these stocks offer high investment potential in the current market environment.
See More
AI Stocks Face Short-Term Setbacks but Long-Term Growth Story Remains Strong
- AI Market Dynamics: Despite recent fluctuations in AI stocks, the long-term growth narrative remains intact, particularly as companies like Nvidia, CoreWeave, and Nebius have generated billions in revenue from AI tool sales, indicating sustained market demand for AI technology.
- Shift in Investor Focus: Investors may pivot towards companies that, while not leading in AI, have broader business operations, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle, whose strong growth in cloud computing and other sectors will provide additional security amid market uncertainties.
- Apple's Potential: Following its late entry into the AI market with the launch of AI features in 2024, Apple may benefit from increased customer engagement with its devices, as its loyal customer base and ongoing service growth are expected to support future revenue increases.
- Market Uncertainty: Given geopolitical and economic concerns, investors may prefer companies that generate revenue from diverse business areas to mitigate reliance on AI growth, thereby maintaining stability during potential market fluctuations.
See More
Amazon's E-Commerce Potential Underappreciated Amid AI Concerns
- E-Commerce Profit Potential: Amazon's North American retail division achieved a 6.9% profit margin last year, indicating strong profitability in its e-commerce business, with expectations of easily reaching 10% and potentially 15% in the coming years.
- Advertising Growth: The growth in higher-margin segments like advertising is expanding Amazon's overall profit pool, and while investments in new projects may compress margins in the short term, they are expected to create long-term value.
- Low Stock Valuation: Amazon's current P/E ratio of 28.5 is among its lowest historically, reflecting the market's underestimation of its future profit potential, especially as retail could reach $750 billion in revenue in the next few years.
- Importance of Cost Control: Amazon must maintain cost discipline over the next decade to ensure steady growth in its international market revenue of $162 billion, which will drive overall profitability improvements.
See More
Alibaba Targets $100 Billion in Cloud and AI Revenue
- Strategic Transformation Goal: Alibaba aims to achieve over $100 billion in annual revenue from its cloud and AI businesses within the next five years, indicating a shift from a commerce-driven model to a technology platform, and while short-term earnings have declined, this goal reflects confidence in future growth.
- Cloud Revenue Momentum: In its latest earnings report, Alibaba reported approximately 36% year-over-year growth in cloud revenue, primarily driven by AI-related workloads, demonstrating that AI demand is becoming a significant part of the company's business, with AI-related revenue growing at triple-digit rates for multiple consecutive quarters.
- Market Opportunity and Competition: Analysts predict that the AI cloud market in China could reach $253 billion by 2033, with Alibaba facing intense competition from companies like Tencent, Huawei, and ByteDance domestically, while globally, it competes with established players like Amazon and Microsoft.
- Investment and Risks: While Alibaba's $100 billion target is attractive, achieving it requires substantial investments in building data centers and scaling computing capacity, and the monetization of AI remains evolving, prompting investors to consider the company's long-term positioning and execution risks in the technology market.
See More
CITIGROUP INCREASES AMAZON'S TARGET PRICE TO $285, UP FROM $265
- Amazon's Stock Analysis: Citigroup has raised its price target for Amazon's stock from $265 to $285.
- Market Implications: This adjustment reflects Citigroup's positive outlook on Amazon's performance in the market.
See More
Future Outlook and Investment Strategies for AI Stocks
- AI Market Growth: Over the past few years, AI stocks have propelled the S&P 500 higher, particularly companies like Nvidia, CoreWeave, and Nebius, which have achieved explosive revenue growth in double and triple digits through AI tool sales, highlighting the immense potential and market demand for AI technology.
- Investor Rotation: Despite recent volatility in AI stocks, investors may shift towards companies that have underperformed in the AI sector but possess broader business operations, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle, which not only rely on AI growth but also generate stable revenue from other areas.
- Apple's Potential: After launching AI features in 2024, Apple may benefit from increased customer engagement with its devices, and although it entered the AI market later, its loyal customer base and ongoing service growth will support future expansion.
- Safety of Market Giants: Cloud computing giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle are favored by investors due to their diversified revenue streams, which provide a sense of security amid geopolitical and economic uncertainties, allowing them to capitalize on the surging demand for AI while mitigating risks.
See More
Billionaire Ackman Bets Big on AI Stocks
- Portfolio Focus: Billionaire Bill Ackman has concentrated 55% of his $15.5 billion portfolio in four AI stocks through Pershing Square Capital Management, reflecting strong confidence in the artificial intelligence sector.
- Stock Allocation: Ackman's investments include Uber (15.9%), Amazon (14.28%), Alphabet (13.83%), and Meta (11.37%), all of which possess sustainable competitive advantages, indicating his focus on AI applications.
- Significant Sales Growth: Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud achieved sales growth of 24% and 48% respectively in the fourth quarter, demonstrating the positive impact of AI integration on their businesses and further solidifying their market leadership.
- Attractive Valuations: Ackman sees value in Uber's forward P/E ratio of 17 and Amazon's projected cash flow P/E ratio of just 9.6, indicating that these stocks offer high investment potential in the current market environment.
See More
AI Stocks Face Short-Term Setbacks but Long-Term Growth Story Remains Strong
- AI Market Dynamics: Despite recent fluctuations in AI stocks, the long-term growth narrative remains intact, particularly as companies like Nvidia, CoreWeave, and Nebius have generated billions in revenue from AI tool sales, indicating sustained market demand for AI technology.
- Shift in Investor Focus: Investors may pivot towards companies that, while not leading in AI, have broader business operations, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle, whose strong growth in cloud computing and other sectors will provide additional security amid market uncertainties.
- Apple's Potential: Following its late entry into the AI market with the launch of AI features in 2024, Apple may benefit from increased customer engagement with its devices, as its loyal customer base and ongoing service growth are expected to support future revenue increases.
- Market Uncertainty: Given geopolitical and economic concerns, investors may prefer companies that generate revenue from diverse business areas to mitigate reliance on AI growth, thereby maintaining stability during potential market fluctuations.
See More
