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Investors get Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN | AMZN Price Prediction) Q1 2026 results after the close today. Shares have rallied 30.28% over the past month into the earnings report, and Polymarket pegs an EPS beat at 93.2%. Expectations are stacked.
AWS Reacceleration Sets the Bar
Last quarter, AWS grew 24%, its fastest pace in 13 quarters, while advertising added 23%. Total revenue hit $213.39 billion (up 13.6% YoY), operating income reached $24.98 billion, and EPS of $1.95 matched consensus.
Since then, Amazon committed an additional $25 billion to Anthropic, unveiled the Leo satellite network for a mid-2026 launch, and acquired Globalstar. Management guided Q1 revenue of $173.5B to $178.5B (11-15% YoY growth) and operating income of $16.5B to $21.5B, versus $18.4B a year ago. CEO Andy Jassy also committed to “about $200 billion in capital expenditures across Amazon in 2026“, raising the bar on what AWS and ads must deliver.
Consensus Snapshot
| Metric |
Q1 2026 (Guide Midpoint) |
Q1 2025 Actual |
YoY Growth |
| Revenue |
~$176B |
$155.67B |
~13% |
| Operating Income |
$16.5B-$21.5B |
$18.4B |
flat to +17% |
| EPS (prior year) |
n/a |
$1.59 |
n/a |
| FY 2025 Revenue |
$716.92B (+12.38%) |
|
| FY 2025 EPS |
$7.17 |
|
AWS, Margins, and the Capex Question
I’ll be watching AWS first. After accelerating to 24%, growth needs to hold above the low 20s to justify the AI infrastructure narrative driving the recent rally. Realistically, if this growth rate falls, Amazon will likely be punished. With $200 billion in planned spend this year, Wall Street is expecting an acceleration in AWS growth rates throughout 2026.
Trainium2 is fully subscribed, with Trainium3 production targeted for mid-2026, and Project Rainier is deploying 500,000+ Trainium2 chips for Anthropic. Investors want to see custom silicon converting into recognized AWS revenue at scale.
Margins are the second test. Q1 guidance bakes in roughly $1 billion in higher Amazon Leo costs and the early ramp of that $200B capex plan. North America operating margin expanded to 9.0% from 8.0% last quarter, but international swung to a 21% YoY decline in operating income. You should look at whether international stabilizes and whether ad growth holds near 23%.
Macro tailwinds help. March retail sales hit $752.1 billion, up 2.4% month-over-month. Tariff exposure on the retail side and capex sustainability remain the loudest pushback themes on Reddit, where one r/stocks thread titled “AI capex is insane but the debt is what actually scares me” captured the bear case.
A High Bar After a 30% Run
With the stock at $264.29 and analysts holding a $283.82 average target, Amazon needs more than a beat. History favors caution: AMZN has posted negative day-of returns in 4 of its last 5 reports. If AWS holds 24%-plus and management frames capex with credible ROI commentary, sentiment shifts from priced-for-perfection to confirmed reacceleration.
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