Aristides Capital LLC Purchases New Position in Amazon.com, Inc. $AMZN

Key Points

• Aristides Capital purchased 9,968 Amazon shares worth approximately $2.1 million during the first quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 72.2% of Amazon’s stock.
• Amazon reported quarterly EPS of $5.75, far above the $1.82 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 19.6% year over year to $200.61 billion. Analysts maintain a broadly bullish outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $322.56.
• Amazon’s AWS and AI expansion remain major growth catalysts, but increased capital spending could pressure free cash flow and margins. Planned share sales by Jeff Bezos and other insiders may also weigh on investor sentiment.

Aristides Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 9,968 shares of the e-commerce giant's stock, valued at approximately $2,076,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Amazon.com by 7.5% during the first quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 73,085 shares of the e-commerce giant's stock worth $15,221,000 after buying an additional 5,125 shares during the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of Amazon.com by 1.7% during the first quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 303,862 shares of the e-commerce giant's stock worth $63,285,000 after buying an additional 5,104 shares in the last quarter. Narwhal Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Amazon.com by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Narwhal Capital Management now owns 216,606 shares of the e-commerce giant's stock valued at $49,997,000 after acquiring an additional 4,854 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Amazon.com by 21.0% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,653,228 shares of the e-commerce giant's stock worth $5,690,463,000 after acquiring an additional 4,275,942 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Weaver Capital Management LLC grew its position in Amazon.com by 13.6% during the 4th quarter. Weaver Capital Management LLC now owns 39,264 shares of the e-commerce giant's stock worth $9,063,000 after acquiring an additional 4,713 shares during the last quarter. 72.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Amazon.com Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ AMZN opened at $274.48 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.96 trillion, a PE ratio of 22.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.45. Amazon.com, Inc. has a 12-month low of $196.00 and a 12-month high of $287.20. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $246.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $237.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The e-commerce giant reported $5.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.82 by $3.93. The company had revenue of $200.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $197.03 billion. Amazon.com had a net margin of 17.44% and a return on equity of 18.00%. The business's revenue was up 19.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.68 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Amazon.com, Inc. will post 8.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Amazon.com

Here are the key news stories impacting Amazon.com this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AWS and AI demand remain the main bullish catalysts. Recent coverage highlights AWS growth of roughly 37%, a reported $496 billion backlog, and sustained demand for AI infrastructure. Amazon has raised its 2026 capital-expenditure outlook to approximately $220 billion and plans to expand data-center capacity, signaling confidence that demand will continue. Amazon: $3 Trillion Is a Milestone, Not a Ceiling
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating results and analyst views support the stock. Amazon’s latest quarter exceeded consensus estimates, with revenue of $200.61 billion, up 19.6% year over year. Zacks upgraded the shares to “Strong Buy,” while other analysts raised price targets, reinforcing the view that AWS, advertising, and retail improvements can offset higher spending. AI Boom: Top Stocks to Consider for Your Portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Amazon Pharmacy is expanding its healthcare opportunity. Eligible Medicare Part D patients can access certain GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Zepbound, for $50 per month through a federal program. The initiative could increase pharmacy traffic and strengthen Amazon’s position in prescription fulfillment, though near-term financial benefits are uncertain. Amazon Pharmacy Offers Weight-Loss Drugs
• Neutral Sentiment: Amazon’s AI spending is producing both optimism and concern. Bullish investors argue strong AWS demand and committed capacity can justify the investment cycle, while valuation experts warn that hyperscalers may be “overinvesting” before returns are clear. The heavier spending could pressure free cash flow and margins if AI monetization slows. Amazon’s Massive Capex Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Large shareholder sales are creating supply concerns. Jeff Bezos plans to sell roughly 15 million shares valued near $4 billion, while Amazon CEO Douglas Herrington sold 1,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Berkshire Hathaway also exited its Amazon position in the first quarter. These transactions do not change Amazon’s fundamentals but may weigh on sentiment after the stock’s rally. Bezos Plans to Sell Amazon Stock

Insider Transactions at Amazon.com

In other news, SVP David Zapolsky sold 9,270 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.53, for a total transaction of $2,489,273.10. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 41,190 shares in the company, valued at $11,060,750.70. The trade was a 18.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Douglas J. Herrington sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.39, for a total value of $278,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 483,527 shares in the company, valued at approximately $134,609,081.53. This represents a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 77,867 shares of company stock valued at $20,532,092. Company insiders own 8.90% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on AMZN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $325.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Amazon.com in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and issued a $350.00 price target (up from $325.00) on shares of Amazon.com in a research report on Friday, July 31st. TD Securities upgraded shares of Amazon.com to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. China Renaissance boosted their price objective on shares of Amazon.com from $300.00 to $326.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Amazon.com in a report on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifty-six have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.56.

Amazon.com Profile

Amazon.com, Inc is a diversified technology and retail company best known for its e-commerce marketplace and broad portfolio of consumer and enterprise services. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company launched as an online bookseller and expanded into a global retail platform that sells products directly to consumers and provides a marketplace for third-party sellers. Over time Amazon has grown beyond retail into areas including cloud computing, digital media, devices and logistics.

Key businesses and offerings include Amazon’s online marketplace and fulfillment services, the Amazon Prime membership program (which bundles expedited shipping with streaming and other benefits), Amazon Web Services (AWS) which supplies on-demand cloud computing and storage to businesses and public-sector customers, and a range of content and advertising services such as Prime Video and Amazon Advertising.

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