On Friday, Telsey Advisory Group revised its price target for Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), increasing it to $235.00 from the previous $215.00, while maintaining an Outperform rating for the stock. This adjustment follows Amazon's announcement of robust third-quarter 2024 results and a favorable outlook for the fourth quarter, surpassing analyst expectations.
Amazon's total revenue for the third quarter of 2024 saw an 11% increase, reaching $158.7 billion, which was above the projected $157.5 billion. This rise included a 12% unit growth, with North American Retail climbing 8.7%, International sales up by 11.7%, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) growing by 19.1%. The company's retail segment benefited from an expanded product range, competitive pricing, special shopping events, and expedited delivery, despite consumers' selective spending habits.
The company's operating income in the third quarter soared by 55.6% to $17.4 billion, significantly surpassing the projected $14.6 billion. This was attributed to margin expansion across all three of Amazon's business segments. The growth in AWS revenue, which accelerated to 19.1% in the third quarter from 18.7% in the second quarter, was highlighted, indicating a strong demand for cloud and artificial intelligence products.
Looking forward, Amazon expressed optimism about the holiday season's kickoff, particularly with the initial success of its Prime Big Deal Days. The company forecasts sales growth of 7%-11% for the fourth quarter, aiming for $181.5 billion to $188.5 billion in revenue. This guidance is in line with Telsey's estimate of $186 billion. Additionally, Amazon predicts operating income to grow between 21% and 51%, reaching $16 billion to $20 billion, compared to the FactSet consensus of $17.3 billion.
InvestingPro Insights
Amazon's strong performance, as highlighted in the article, is further supported by InvestingPro data and tips. The company's revenue for the last twelve months as of Q2 2024 reached $604.33 billion, with a robust revenue growth of 12.32% over the same period. This aligns with the article's mention of Amazon's 11% increase in total revenue for Q3 2024.
InvestingPro Tips indicate that Amazon is a "Prominent player in the Broadline Retail industry" and has been "Profitable over the last twelve months," which corroborates the article's discussion of Amazon's market position and financial performance. The company's operating income margin of 9.0% for the last twelve months as of Q2 2024 reflects the significant margin expansion mentioned in the article.
It's worth noting that while Amazon is trading at a high P/E ratio of 43.58, it's also trading at a low P/E ratio relative to near-term earnings growth, with a PEG ratio of 0.2. This suggests that despite the high valuation, there may still be room for growth, aligning with Telsey Advisory Group's optimistic price target revision.
For investors seeking more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers 12 additional tips for Amazon, providing deeper insights into the company's financial health and market position.
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