Amazon Reports 24% Growth in Ad Revenue to $17.7 Billion in 2025
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 04 2026
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Source: Fool
- Ad Revenue Growth: Amazon's online advertising revenue surged 24% year-over-year in Q3 to $17.7 billion, significantly enhancing overall profitability despite ads accounting for less than 10% of total revenue.
- Cloud Computing Acceleration: Amazon Web Services (AWS) achieved a 20% year-over-year growth rate, returning to 2022 levels, indicating a growing trend of businesses turning to AWS to support their AI needs, thus driving sustained expansion in cloud services.
- Surge in AI Chip Demand: Amazon's Trainium2 AI chip business grew 150% sequentially, now a multibillion-dollar segment that reduces chip costs and strengthens the company's competitive edge in AI, further propelling overall business growth.
- Overall Financial Performance: Despite a mere 5% stock price increase over the past year, Amazon reported a 13% year-over-year revenue growth and a 38% rise in net income in Q3, reflecting strong fundamentals that may set the stage for a stock price rally in 2026.
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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: 268.460
Low
175.00
Averages
280.01
High
325.00
Current: 268.460
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.
- Significant Revenue Growth: SpaceX's Starlink business generated $11.3 billion in revenue in 2025, accounting for 61% of the company's total revenue, with projections of $20 billion in 2026, indicating strong market demand and profit potential.
- Strong User Growth: As of February 2026, Starlink connected over 10 million active users, with 4.6 million added in 2025, demonstrating sustained service demand across 160 countries and enhancing market competitiveness.
- Key ARPU Trend: With Amazon planning to launch competing satellite internet services, SpaceX must monitor Starlink's average revenue per user (ARPU) trend to ensure profitability and market positioning, particularly in attracting high-margin business customers.
- Optimistic IPO Outlook: SpaceX is expected to conduct an IPO in 2026 with a valuation of $1.75 trillion; if Starlink's ARPU continues to grow, it will provide strong support for future profitability, ensuring sustainable development under such a high valuation.
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- Small Position Sell-Off: In the first quarter, Abel and his team sold out of 16 smaller positions, including Visa and Mastercard, which accounted for about a third of Berkshire's total holdings, demonstrating decisive action in optimizing the investment portfolio.
- Core Holdings Retained: Despite the significant sell-off, Abel retained core holdings such as Apple, American Express, and Coca-Cola, reflecting his respect for and continuation of the company's traditional investment strategies established by Buffett.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the announcement of Abel's investment strategy, Berkshire Hathaway's stock ticked higher, reflecting market confidence in his management capabilities and further solidifying the company's position in the investment community.
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- Walmart's Dividend Growth: Walmart has increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years, raising the quarterly payout to $0.248 per share in 2026, which, while modest, signifies important growth and durability for long-term investors, with projected earnings per share for fiscal 2027 expected to cover the new dividend comfortably at $2.75 to $2.85.
- Shift to Higher-Margin Businesses: Over the past five years, Walmart has transitioned towards higher-margin operations, with advertising revenue reaching $6.4 billion annually, and the expansion of membership and marketplace businesses enhancing overall profitability, as evidenced by a 10.8% increase in adjusted operating income in the fourth quarter, showcasing sustained operational leverage.
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- Investment Return Comparison: Amazon's stock gained 63.9% over the past five years, lagging behind the S&P 500's 92.8%, but a $1,000 investment in Amazon would now be worth $1,639, indicating its long-term investment potential.
- Sales Growth Forecast: Amazon's sales grew over 12% last year to $716.9 billion, followed by a 17% increase in Q1, with management projecting a 16% to 19% growth for Q2, showcasing a strong sales growth outlook.
- Future Stock Price Estimation: Assuming a conservative 8% sales growth rate, sales per share could reach $97.29 by 2030; with a current P/S ratio of 3.4, this suggests a future stock price of about $331, highlighting potential investment returns.
- Investment Return Range: At the current stock price of $259.34, investing in four shares totals $1,037; if the stock reaches $331, the investment could grow to $1,324, a 28% gain, while a price of $443 would increase the value to $1,772, representing a 71% increase.
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- New Investment Directions: Abel added positions in Delta Airlines and Macy's, and tripled the investment in Alphabet, indicating a strategy aligned with Buffett's tech stock preferences, which may attract younger investors.
- Increased Concentration: Excluding investments in Japan, Berkshire now holds only 29 positions, retaining Buffett favorites like Apple, American Express, and Coca-Cola, reflecting ongoing confidence in classic quality assets.
- Positive Market Reaction: Despite the reduction of about one-third of the portfolio, Berkshire's stock price rose following the announcement, indicating market approval of Abel's investment strategy and suggesting optimistic expectations for future performance.
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- Sales Growth Trend: Amazon's sales grew over 12% last year to $716.9 billion, indicating strong market demand, with management projecting a 16% to 19% increase for Q2, which will further bolster investor confidence.
- Future Stock Price Forecast: Assuming a 12% sales growth, the projected sales per share could reach $116.70 by 2030, and with the current P/S ratio of 3.8, the future stock price could hit $443, indicating significant investment return potential.
- Investment Return Analysis: Purchasing four shares of Amazon at the closing price of $259.34 would require an investment of $1,037, and if the stock price reaches $443, the investment value could rise to $1,772, representing a 71% increase, highlighting the attractive potential returns of investing in Amazon.
- Market Competitiveness: Although Amazon's 63.9% stock price increase over the past five years lagged behind the S&P 500's 92.8%, its sales prospects in the AI sector remain enticing, necessitating ongoing monitoring of its market performance and strategic adjustments.
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