Back to News
investment

Is Amazon Stock Going to $260?

newsfeedback@fool.com (Keithen Drury)
Loading...
4 min read
0 likes
⚡ Quantum Brief
The stock dropped 20% from its $260 all-time high after a 10% post-earnings sell-off in early 2026, despite strong Q4 results exceeding revenue and operating income forecasts. AWS delivered 24% year-over-year growth—its fastest in three years—driven by triple-digit revenue gains from Amazon’s custom in-house chips, signaling robust demand in cloud and AI infrastructure. Capital expenditures will surge to $200 billion in 2026, up from $132 billion, sparking investor concerns over short-term profitability despite long-term growth potential in AI and cloud sectors. The forward P/E ratio fell from the low 30s to mid-20s, reflecting market skepticism about AI spending returns, though sustained AWS growth could reverse losses and push shares past $260. Analysts suggest consistent earnings beats in 2026 could propel the stock to new highs, but faltering AWS growth may trigger further declines, hinging on execution of AI investments.
AI Audio Summary
0:00 / 0:00
Click to play
anton-maksimov-5642-su-wrkNQmhmdvY-unsplash.jpg
Quantum News · Media Library

Amazon has a ways to go to set a new all-time high.Amazon (AMZN 0.39%) hasn't been a great investment over the past year. Since 2026 began, its stock has declined by more than 5%. While it was positive for 2025, the negative price movement started in 2026 after Amazon's poorly received fourth-quarter earnings report. The market sold the stock off by about 10% following earnings, and now the stock is down around 20% from its all-time high of just shy of $260. If Amazon could hit $260 by the end of 2026, that would indicate a new all-time high for the stock. So, could Amazon return to that level by the end of 2026? Let's find out. Image source: Getty Images. Amazon's earnings were fantastic The 10% sell-off following the announcement didn't have a lot to do with Amazon's actual results. Amazon told investors to expect between $206 billion and $213 billion in revenue for Q4, with operating income coming in around $21 billion to $26 billion. But earnings crushed expectations, with actual revenue coming in at $213.4 billion (up 14% year over year) and operating income of $25 billion. Within those results were several exciting stories, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), its cloud computing wing, delivering 24% growth -- its best rate in over three years. A huge boost in this area has been Amazon's custom chips designed in-house, which saw revenue climb in the triple digits. ExpandNASDAQ: AMZNAmazonToday's Change(-0.39%) $-0.78Current Price$198.82Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.1TDay's Range$197.28 - $201.1652wk Range$161.38 - $258.60Volume3.1MAvg Vol47MGross Margin50.29% Amazon is truly doing fantastic, but the issue was its capital expenditure guidance. Amazon told investors to expect $200 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, a massive increase from the $132 billion it spent over the past 12 months. This tanked the stock, but was it warranted? Amazon has consistently traded in the low-30s forward earnings range, but now it's in the mid-20s. AMZN PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts. I think this decline shows some skepticism in AI spending, but if growth for AWS continues to accelerate, don't be surprised to see the stock gain all of its losses back and more. The market is in a "show-me" mood right now, and with Amazon spending massive amounts of money, the market wants to see a solid return on investment. That will take time to pan out, but if Amazon can deliver expectation-beating quarters throughout 2026, I have no doubt that Amazon stock will rise back to its all-time high and break through the $260 level to establish a new high. But if AWS revenue growth starts to falter for some reason, the stock could move in the opposite direction.Read NextFeb 15, 2026 •By Trevor JennewineAmazon Stock Just Did Something Last Seen in 2006. It Signals a Big Move in the Next Year if History Repeats Itself.Feb 15, 2026 •By Keithen DruryThis Artificial Intelligence Stock Could Bounce Back in 2026Feb 14, 2026 •By James BrumleyThe Catch-22 Behind Amazon's Big AI Spending PlansFeb 14, 2026 •By Brett SchaferPrediction: Amazon's Falling Stock Will Fuel 2026 GainsFeb 14, 2026 •By Keithen DruryAmazon's Secret Weapon Is Getting StrongerFeb 14, 2026 •By Brett SchaferShould You Forget Nvidia and Buy 2 Other Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Instead?About the AuthorKeithen Drury is a contributing Motley Fool technology analyst covering AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and SaaS stocks. In addition to The Motley Fool, Keithen is a mechanical engineer and has held roles at Honeywell and smaller industrial companies like Brand Hydraulics and Lincoln Industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Dordt University.TMFTripleOptionStocks MentionedAmazonNASDAQ: AMZN$198.82 (0.39%) $0.78*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

Read Original

Source Information

Source: The Motley Fool

Discussion

0 professional contributions

Sign in to join this professional discussion.

Be the first to add a constructive contribution.