5 things to know before the stock market opens Wednesday
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 26 2025
0mins
Should l Buy AMZN?
Source: CNBC
Market Performance: The S&P 500 gained 0.16% while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.46%, but consumer confidence is declining, with the Conference Board's index showing a drop for the fourth consecutive month and a recession signal looming.
Technological Developments: Amazon is testing new AI chatbots for shopping and health inquiries, GameStop plans to invest in bitcoin to revitalize its business, and Google is optimistic about achieving practical quantum computing applications within five years.
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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: 265.060
Low
175.00
Averages
280.01
High
325.00
Current: 265.060
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.COM STOCK REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH FOLLOWING BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED CLOUD SALES GROWTH IN QUARTERLY REPORT, UP 2% LATEST
- Amazon's Stock Performance: Amazon's shares have reached record highs following positive quarterly reports.
- Cloud Sales Growth: The company's cloud sales growth has exceeded estimates, increasing by more than 2%.
See More
Amazon Q1 Earnings Preview: Focus on Tariffs and AI
- Earnings Release Schedule: Amazon is set to report its Q1 earnings after Wednesday's market close, with a conference call at 5:30 p.m. ET, where investors will closely monitor the cloud division's performance and the tangible results of its AI investments.
- Market Expectation Analysis: According to Kalshi data, traders are pricing in a high likelihood of discussions centered on tariffs and artificial intelligence, with a 96% probability for tariff mentions, indicating strong market focus on this issue.
- Investor Focus: Wall Street anticipates Amazon will report earnings per share of $1.65 on revenues of $177.16 billion, with particular attention on the cloud segment to assess whether the company's heavy AI investments are yielding substantial returns.
- Diverse Themes: Beyond tariffs and AI, traders show significant interest in topics like “live sports,” “Alexa+,” and “robotics,” with probabilities of 95% and 93%, reflecting market expectations for Amazon's diversified business interests.
See More
White House Objects to Anthropic's AI Model Access Expansion
- Escalating Security Concerns: The White House has objected to Anthropic's plan to expand access to its frontier AI model, Mythos, citing fears that broader release could lead to security vulnerabilities, impacting the computing capabilities of several U.S. agencies.
- Partner Expansion Plans: Initially, Anthropic provided Mythos access to about 40 partners, including Microsoft and Google, but is now considering allowing access to an additional 70 organizations, which would significantly enhance its market influence.
- Legal Dispute Context: Despite tensions with the Department of Defense, Anthropic is moving forward with its IPO and is contemplating a new funding round that could push its valuation beyond $900 billion, indicating strong growth potential in the AI sector.
- Market Competition Dynamics: Anthropic's valuation skyrocketed from $61.5 billion just 13 months ago, reflecting the rapid advancements in AI technology and its critical importance in the finance and tech industries, potentially attracting more competitors' attention.
See More
Major Tech Firms Collaborate on Defense AI Initiatives
- Defense AI Collaboration: The U.S. Department of Defense has signed agreements with major tech firms including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and NVIDIA to implement AI tools in classified environments, enhancing efficiency in intelligence, operations, and internal workflows.
- Rapid Adoption: Over 1.3 million military personnel are currently utilizing the DoD's AI platform, indicating the growing significance and swift integration of AI within defense strategies.
- Multi-Partner Approach: The Pentagon's strategy of collaborating with multiple companies rather than a single partner not only mitigates risks but also underscores the critical role of AI technology in defense, highlighting varying adaptability among firms.
- Corporate Reactions: While most companies are actively participating, Anthropic has previously expressed discomfort with access terms, reflecting the trade-offs and challenges inherent in defense AI collaborations.
See More
Analysts Sharply Upgrade S&P 500 Earnings Expectations
- Earnings Growth Expectations: According to LSEG IBES data, S&P 500 profits are projected to grow by 27.8% in Q1, marking the strongest growth since Q4 2021, indicating increased market confidence in economic recovery.
- Forecast Revisions: This earnings forecast significantly exceeds last Friday's 16.1% growth estimate and the 14.4% increase projected a month ago, reflecting analysts' optimism regarding the performance of megacap tech companies.
- Tech Giants' Performance: Apple (AAPL) reported its strongest quarterly sales growth in over four years on Thursday, following results from Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta (META), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT) on Wednesday, capping the busiest week of the earnings season.
- Market Environment Impact: Despite persistently high oil prices and unresolved tensions with Iran, the robust performance of major tech companies continues to drive overall market optimism, reflecting investors' confidence in future economic growth.
See More
Meta's Stock Drops as Capital Expenditure Plans Raise Investor Concerns
- Capital Expenditure Plans: Meta plans to invest over $100 billion in capital expenditures in 2023, similar to Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft; however, its lack of a cloud computing business raises concerns about the return on investment, leading to investor apprehension regarding future prospects.
- Reality Labs Losses: The Reality Labs division reported a $4 billion loss in Q1 with only $402 million in revenue, highlighting the low return on investment in AI and intensifying market skepticism about Meta's capital allocation capabilities.
- Advertising Business Growth: Despite challenges, Meta's advertising revenue surged by 33% in Q1, significantly outpacing rival Alphabet's 15.5% growth, demonstrating success in enhancing ad targeting and user engagement.
- AI Technology Application: The launch of the Advantage+ platform, which automates the advertising process using generative AI, has attracted over 8 million advertisers, driving a 19% increase in ad impressions and a 12% rise in ad prices, indicating strong progress in advertising technology innovation.
See More
AMAZON.COM STOCK REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH FOLLOWING BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED CLOUD SALES GROWTH IN QUARTERLY REPORT, UP 2% LATEST
- Amazon's Stock Performance: Amazon's shares have reached record highs following positive quarterly reports.
- Cloud Sales Growth: The company's cloud sales growth has exceeded estimates, increasing by more than 2%.
See More
Amazon Q1 Earnings Preview: Focus on Tariffs and AI
- Earnings Release Schedule: Amazon is set to report its Q1 earnings after Wednesday's market close, with a conference call at 5:30 p.m. ET, where investors will closely monitor the cloud division's performance and the tangible results of its AI investments.
- Market Expectation Analysis: According to Kalshi data, traders are pricing in a high likelihood of discussions centered on tariffs and artificial intelligence, with a 96% probability for tariff mentions, indicating strong market focus on this issue.
- Investor Focus: Wall Street anticipates Amazon will report earnings per share of $1.65 on revenues of $177.16 billion, with particular attention on the cloud segment to assess whether the company's heavy AI investments are yielding substantial returns.
- Diverse Themes: Beyond tariffs and AI, traders show significant interest in topics like “live sports,” “Alexa+,” and “robotics,” with probabilities of 95% and 93%, reflecting market expectations for Amazon's diversified business interests.
See More
White House Objects to Anthropic's AI Model Access Expansion
- Escalating Security Concerns: The White House has objected to Anthropic's plan to expand access to its frontier AI model, Mythos, citing fears that broader release could lead to security vulnerabilities, impacting the computing capabilities of several U.S. agencies.
- Partner Expansion Plans: Initially, Anthropic provided Mythos access to about 40 partners, including Microsoft and Google, but is now considering allowing access to an additional 70 organizations, which would significantly enhance its market influence.
- Legal Dispute Context: Despite tensions with the Department of Defense, Anthropic is moving forward with its IPO and is contemplating a new funding round that could push its valuation beyond $900 billion, indicating strong growth potential in the AI sector.
- Market Competition Dynamics: Anthropic's valuation skyrocketed from $61.5 billion just 13 months ago, reflecting the rapid advancements in AI technology and its critical importance in the finance and tech industries, potentially attracting more competitors' attention.
See More
Major Tech Firms Collaborate on Defense AI Initiatives
- Defense AI Collaboration: The U.S. Department of Defense has signed agreements with major tech firms including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and NVIDIA to implement AI tools in classified environments, enhancing efficiency in intelligence, operations, and internal workflows.
- Rapid Adoption: Over 1.3 million military personnel are currently utilizing the DoD's AI platform, indicating the growing significance and swift integration of AI within defense strategies.
- Multi-Partner Approach: The Pentagon's strategy of collaborating with multiple companies rather than a single partner not only mitigates risks but also underscores the critical role of AI technology in defense, highlighting varying adaptability among firms.
- Corporate Reactions: While most companies are actively participating, Anthropic has previously expressed discomfort with access terms, reflecting the trade-offs and challenges inherent in defense AI collaborations.
See More
Analysts Sharply Upgrade S&P 500 Earnings Expectations
- Earnings Growth Expectations: According to LSEG IBES data, S&P 500 profits are projected to grow by 27.8% in Q1, marking the strongest growth since Q4 2021, indicating increased market confidence in economic recovery.
- Forecast Revisions: This earnings forecast significantly exceeds last Friday's 16.1% growth estimate and the 14.4% increase projected a month ago, reflecting analysts' optimism regarding the performance of megacap tech companies.
- Tech Giants' Performance: Apple (AAPL) reported its strongest quarterly sales growth in over four years on Thursday, following results from Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta (META), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT) on Wednesday, capping the busiest week of the earnings season.
- Market Environment Impact: Despite persistently high oil prices and unresolved tensions with Iran, the robust performance of major tech companies continues to drive overall market optimism, reflecting investors' confidence in future economic growth.
See More
Meta's Stock Drops as Capital Expenditure Plans Raise Investor Concerns
- Capital Expenditure Plans: Meta plans to invest over $100 billion in capital expenditures in 2023, similar to Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft; however, its lack of a cloud computing business raises concerns about the return on investment, leading to investor apprehension regarding future prospects.
- Reality Labs Losses: The Reality Labs division reported a $4 billion loss in Q1 with only $402 million in revenue, highlighting the low return on investment in AI and intensifying market skepticism about Meta's capital allocation capabilities.
- Advertising Business Growth: Despite challenges, Meta's advertising revenue surged by 33% in Q1, significantly outpacing rival Alphabet's 15.5% growth, demonstrating success in enhancing ad targeting and user engagement.
- AI Technology Application: The launch of the Advantage+ platform, which automates the advertising process using generative AI, has attracted over 8 million advertisers, driving a 19% increase in ad impressions and a 12% rise in ad prices, indicating strong progress in advertising technology innovation.
See More
