Amazon More Than Doubles Earnings: What Analysts Are Saying

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN | AMZN Price Prediction) released first-quarter financial results after markets closed Thursday. The e-commerce empire said that it had $15.79 in earnings per share (EPS) and $108.5 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates of $9.54 in EPS and revenue of $104.46 billion. In the same period of last year, Amazon reported EPS of $5.01 and $75.5 billion in revenue.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) revenues increased 32.1% to $13.5 billion, up from $10.2 billion in the same period of last year, with operating income of $4.16 billion.

In its other segments, Amazon reported:

• North American net sales increased 39.5% to $64.37 billion, with an operating income of $3.45 billion.
• International sales increased 60.4% to $30.65 billion, with operating income of $1.25 billion.

As for guidance, the company expects to see net sales in the range of $110 billion to $116 billion, with operating income of $4.5 billion to $8.0 billion, in the second quarter. The consensus estimates call for $12.12 in EPS on $116.16 billion in revenue for the quarter.

On the books, Amazon’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $34.16 billion at the end of the quarter, up from $27.51 billion at the end of the same period last year.

Here’s what analysts are saying after the fact:

• Canaccord Genuity reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price target to $4,400 from $4,100.
• Evercore ISI reiterated it as Outperform and raised its price target to $4,500 from $4,000.
• Credit Suisse reiterated a Buy rating.
• Raymond James reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its target to $4,125 from $4,000.
• Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price target to $4,200 from $4,000.
• Stifel reiterated it as a Buy and raised its target price from $4,000 to $4,400.
• JPMorgan reiterated it as Overweight and raised its price target to $4,600 from $4,400.
• Wells Fargo reiterated it as Overweight and raised its price target to $4,500 from $4,100.
• BMO Capital Markets reiterated it as Outperform and raised its target to $4,300 from $4,200.
• Susquehanna reiterated a Positive rating and raised its price target to $5,500 from $5,200.
• Morgan Stanley reiterated it at Overweight and raised its price target to $4,500 from $4,200.
• Barclays reiterated its Overweight rating and raised its price target to $4,300 from $3,860.
• UBS reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target price from $4,150 to $4,350.
• Mizuho reiterated it as a Buy and raised its price target to $4,400 from $4,000.

Shares of Amazon traded up less than 2% Friday morning to $3,533.23, in a 52-week range of $2,256.38 to $3,552.25. The consensus price target is $3,997.83.

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