Big Tech Hires Energy Experts, 34% Growth in 2024
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 14 2026
0mins
Should l Buy AMZN?
Source: CNBC
- Significant Hiring Surge: In 2024, tech companies saw a 34% year-on-year increase in energy-related hiring, reflecting a strong demand for energy experts to support their AI expansion and data center power needs.
- Data Center Power Demand: According to the International Energy Agency, data centers accounted for 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024, marking a 12% increase over the past five years, indicating major challenges for Big Tech in meeting power demands.
- Acquisitions and Talent Wars: Google plans to acquire data center company Intersect for $4.75 billion while adding 340 energy-related hires since 2022, showcasing its strategic positioning in the energy market.
- Power Purchase Agreements: Meta has signed power purchase agreements with small modular reactor company Oklo, further solidifying its position in the energy sector, while Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have received approval to act as electricity traders, allowing them to sell excess power back to the grid.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy AMZN?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
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: 207.920
Low
175.00
Averages
280.01
High
325.00
Current: 207.920
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.
MrBeast's $5 Million Prize Sparks Controversy
- Prize Distribution Controversy: MrBeast awarded a $5 million prize in the second season of 'Beast Games', sparking intense debate online about the choice between a lump sum or $50,000 monthly, garnering 10.9 million views and highlighting public interest in financial decision-making.
- Poll Results Analysis: In a social media poll, 34.9% opted for the lump sum of $5 million, while 65.1% preferred the monthly income of $50,000 for life, reflecting a preference for long-term financial security despite both options equating in earnings after 8.33 years.
- Life Expectancy and Investment Returns: Given the average life expectancy of 78.4 years in the U.S., participants under 70 may find the monthly payment option more financially advantageous, especially if they can invest the lump sum for higher returns, potentially leading to greater financial gains.
- Social Response and Comparisons: MrBeast's question parallels the lottery jackpot dilemma, where a recent $1.8 billion jackpot offered a lump sum of only $826.4 million, illustrating that while lump sums seem appealing, the benefits of long-term payments include inflation adjustments, showcasing the complexity of financial choices people face.
See More
Nvidia Reports Strong Earnings but Stock Drops
- Strong Earnings Performance: Nvidia reported a remarkable 73% revenue growth in its latest earnings report, with an expected earnings per share of $8.23 for fiscal 2027, showcasing the company's robust position in the AI chip market, despite concerns about the sustainability of its future growth.
- Unexplained Stock Volatility: Following the earnings release, Nvidia's stock fell nearly 10% over two days, potentially due to investor worries about its valuation and a rotation into beaten-down software stocks, reflecting a broader market underestimation of the semiconductor sector.
- Valuation Comparison Advantage: With a forward P/E of 21.5, Nvidia is trading below the S&P 500's 22, even though its growth rate is four times faster, indicating a potential mispricing that could present a buying opportunity for investors looking for growth.
- Uncertain AI Spending Outlook: Despite major tech firms expected to spend over $600 billion on AI infrastructure, Nvidia's strong earnings failed to alleviate market concerns regarding the sustainability of AI investments, prompting investors to stay vigilant about industry trends to seize investment opportunities.
See More
Nvidia's Earnings Beat Expectations but Stock Sold Off
- Strong Earnings Report: Nvidia reported earnings per share of $8.23, exceeding analyst expectations, with projected revenue growth of 69% to $364.8 billion for fiscal 2027, indicating robust growth potential.
- Unexplained Stock Decline: Despite the impressive earnings, Nvidia's stock fell nearly 10% over the following two days, likely due to concerns over its valuation and a shift in investor focus towards other beaten-down software stocks.
- Valuation Comparison Advantage: With a forward P/E of 21.5, Nvidia is cheaper than the S&P 500's 22, even though its growth rate is four times that of the index, suggesting a significant market mispricing of its future growth.
- Market Misjudgment Risk: Investor skepticism towards the semiconductor sector and the AI boom has led to Nvidia being undervalued, and with new platform launches expected, growth is likely to continue, presenting a buying opportunity for investors.
See More
Amazon vs. Costco: A Financial Comparison
- Amazon Cloud Growth: Amazon's Q4 cloud computing revenue surged 24% year-over-year to $35.6 billion, indicating a strong acceleration in demand for AWS as optimization pressures ease, highlighting robust demand for AI infrastructure.
- Costco Membership Renewal: Despite raising membership fees in 2024, Costco maintained an impressive 92.2% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada, showcasing strong customer loyalty and a stable revenue stream, with membership fee revenue increasing 14% to $1.33 billion.
- Amazon Investment Plans: Amazon plans to invest approximately $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, sharply up from $131.8 billion in 2025, which will pressure short-term free cash flow but underscores the company's confidence in future growth.
- Valuation Discrepancy: Amazon trades at about 29 times earnings compared to Costco's 54 times, reflecting the market's confidence in Costco's predictable business model, yet this high valuation leaves little room for error if consumer spending slows.
See More
Investment Comparison: Amazon vs. Costco
- Amazon's Accelerating Growth: Amazon's Q4 net sales rose 14% year-over-year to $213.4 billion, with its cloud computing segment, AWS, seeing a 24% revenue increase, indicating strong market demand, although future capital expenditure plans may pressure free cash flow.
- Capital Expenditure Plans: Amazon expects to ramp up capital expenditures to $200 billion in 2026, significantly higher than the $131.8 billion spent in 2025, aiming to meet surging demand for AI and cloud services, despite potential short-term impacts on operating income.
- Costco's Stable Sales: Costco's net sales increased by 8.2% year-over-year to approximately $66 billion in Q1 FY2026, with membership fee revenue rising 14%, demonstrating business stability and customer loyalty, although it faces risks from high valuation.
- Market Valuation Discrepancies: Amazon trades at about 29 times earnings, which is considered attractive given its rapid growth in advertising and cloud revenue, while Costco's valuation at 54 times earnings reflects near-perfect execution expectations, leaving little room for error.
See More
Cross Staff Investments Acquires 289,630 Shares of AKRE Focus ETF
- New Investment Position: Cross Staff Investments Inc established a new position in the Professionally Managed Portfolios - Akre Focus ETF by purchasing 289,630 shares valued at $18.97 million as of February 27, 2026, indicating confidence in the fund's future performance.
- Asset Allocation Insight: This investment represents 10.45% of Cross Staff's 13F reportable AUM as of December 31, 2025, highlighting the significance of AKRE in its portfolio and potentially influencing its overall investment strategy and risk management.
- Market Performance Consideration: As of February 28, 2026, AKRE shares were priced at $56.14, reflecting a 20.61% decline over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 37.97 percentage points, indicating a lack of market confidence in the ETF that may affect investor decisions.
- Investment Risk Advisory: While AKRE focuses on small- and mid-cap stocks with high growth potential, its concentrated investment strategy in a limited number of stocks also introduces higher volatility risks, necessitating careful evaluation of potential risks versus rewards by investors considering this ETF.
See More
MrBeast's $5 Million Prize Sparks Controversy
- Prize Distribution Controversy: MrBeast awarded a $5 million prize in the second season of 'Beast Games', sparking intense debate online about the choice between a lump sum or $50,000 monthly, garnering 10.9 million views and highlighting public interest in financial decision-making.
- Poll Results Analysis: In a social media poll, 34.9% opted for the lump sum of $5 million, while 65.1% preferred the monthly income of $50,000 for life, reflecting a preference for long-term financial security despite both options equating in earnings after 8.33 years.
- Life Expectancy and Investment Returns: Given the average life expectancy of 78.4 years in the U.S., participants under 70 may find the monthly payment option more financially advantageous, especially if they can invest the lump sum for higher returns, potentially leading to greater financial gains.
- Social Response and Comparisons: MrBeast's question parallels the lottery jackpot dilemma, where a recent $1.8 billion jackpot offered a lump sum of only $826.4 million, illustrating that while lump sums seem appealing, the benefits of long-term payments include inflation adjustments, showcasing the complexity of financial choices people face.
See More
Nvidia Reports Strong Earnings but Stock Drops
- Strong Earnings Performance: Nvidia reported a remarkable 73% revenue growth in its latest earnings report, with an expected earnings per share of $8.23 for fiscal 2027, showcasing the company's robust position in the AI chip market, despite concerns about the sustainability of its future growth.
- Unexplained Stock Volatility: Following the earnings release, Nvidia's stock fell nearly 10% over two days, potentially due to investor worries about its valuation and a rotation into beaten-down software stocks, reflecting a broader market underestimation of the semiconductor sector.
- Valuation Comparison Advantage: With a forward P/E of 21.5, Nvidia is trading below the S&P 500's 22, even though its growth rate is four times faster, indicating a potential mispricing that could present a buying opportunity for investors looking for growth.
- Uncertain AI Spending Outlook: Despite major tech firms expected to spend over $600 billion on AI infrastructure, Nvidia's strong earnings failed to alleviate market concerns regarding the sustainability of AI investments, prompting investors to stay vigilant about industry trends to seize investment opportunities.
See More
Nvidia's Earnings Beat Expectations but Stock Sold Off
- Strong Earnings Report: Nvidia reported earnings per share of $8.23, exceeding analyst expectations, with projected revenue growth of 69% to $364.8 billion for fiscal 2027, indicating robust growth potential.
- Unexplained Stock Decline: Despite the impressive earnings, Nvidia's stock fell nearly 10% over the following two days, likely due to concerns over its valuation and a shift in investor focus towards other beaten-down software stocks.
- Valuation Comparison Advantage: With a forward P/E of 21.5, Nvidia is cheaper than the S&P 500's 22, even though its growth rate is four times that of the index, suggesting a significant market mispricing of its future growth.
- Market Misjudgment Risk: Investor skepticism towards the semiconductor sector and the AI boom has led to Nvidia being undervalued, and with new platform launches expected, growth is likely to continue, presenting a buying opportunity for investors.
See More
Amazon vs. Costco: A Financial Comparison
- Amazon Cloud Growth: Amazon's Q4 cloud computing revenue surged 24% year-over-year to $35.6 billion, indicating a strong acceleration in demand for AWS as optimization pressures ease, highlighting robust demand for AI infrastructure.
- Costco Membership Renewal: Despite raising membership fees in 2024, Costco maintained an impressive 92.2% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada, showcasing strong customer loyalty and a stable revenue stream, with membership fee revenue increasing 14% to $1.33 billion.
- Amazon Investment Plans: Amazon plans to invest approximately $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, sharply up from $131.8 billion in 2025, which will pressure short-term free cash flow but underscores the company's confidence in future growth.
- Valuation Discrepancy: Amazon trades at about 29 times earnings compared to Costco's 54 times, reflecting the market's confidence in Costco's predictable business model, yet this high valuation leaves little room for error if consumer spending slows.
See More
Investment Comparison: Amazon vs. Costco
- Amazon's Accelerating Growth: Amazon's Q4 net sales rose 14% year-over-year to $213.4 billion, with its cloud computing segment, AWS, seeing a 24% revenue increase, indicating strong market demand, although future capital expenditure plans may pressure free cash flow.
- Capital Expenditure Plans: Amazon expects to ramp up capital expenditures to $200 billion in 2026, significantly higher than the $131.8 billion spent in 2025, aiming to meet surging demand for AI and cloud services, despite potential short-term impacts on operating income.
- Costco's Stable Sales: Costco's net sales increased by 8.2% year-over-year to approximately $66 billion in Q1 FY2026, with membership fee revenue rising 14%, demonstrating business stability and customer loyalty, although it faces risks from high valuation.
- Market Valuation Discrepancies: Amazon trades at about 29 times earnings, which is considered attractive given its rapid growth in advertising and cloud revenue, while Costco's valuation at 54 times earnings reflects near-perfect execution expectations, leaving little room for error.
See More
Cross Staff Investments Acquires 289,630 Shares of AKRE Focus ETF
- New Investment Position: Cross Staff Investments Inc established a new position in the Professionally Managed Portfolios - Akre Focus ETF by purchasing 289,630 shares valued at $18.97 million as of February 27, 2026, indicating confidence in the fund's future performance.
- Asset Allocation Insight: This investment represents 10.45% of Cross Staff's 13F reportable AUM as of December 31, 2025, highlighting the significance of AKRE in its portfolio and potentially influencing its overall investment strategy and risk management.
- Market Performance Consideration: As of February 28, 2026, AKRE shares were priced at $56.14, reflecting a 20.61% decline over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 37.97 percentage points, indicating a lack of market confidence in the ETF that may affect investor decisions.
- Investment Risk Advisory: While AKRE focuses on small- and mid-cap stocks with high growth potential, its concentrated investment strategy in a limited number of stocks also introduces higher volatility risks, necessitating careful evaluation of potential risks versus rewards by investors considering this ETF.
See More
