Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Amazon (AMZN) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know

Read MoreHide Full Article

In the latest trading session, Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) closed at $210.25, marking a +2.38% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.15%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 1.38%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 1.38%.

The online retailer's shares have seen a decrease of 2.26% over the last month, surpassing the Retail-Wholesale sector's loss of 6.15% and the S&P 500's loss of 5.69%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Amazon in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.69, indicating a 6.29% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $177.54 billion, reflecting a 14.05% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $7.78 per share and revenue of $804.57 billion. These totals would mark changes of +8.51% and +12.23%, respectively, from last year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Amazon. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.11% increase. Amazon presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

From a valuation perspective, Amazon is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 26.4. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 15.13.

It's also important to note that AMZN currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.54. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Internet - Commerce industry had an average PEG ratio of 0.82 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Internet - Commerce industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 156, placing it within the bottom 37% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.

Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)

Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.

Click Here, It's Really Free

Published in