Amazon's AI and cloud demand is red hot into 2027 and beyond, enough that it raised capex guidance from $200B to $220B just to keep up. Its earnings were a masterclass in operational excellence. x.comÂ
Matt C
Cybersecurity Engineer, Bitcoin Background Since 2014
Amazon's record AI spending looks backed by AWS demand, despite pressure on near-term profit. AWS grew 39% to $46bn, and CEO Andy Jassy projects growth above 40% in both 2027 and 2028. Quarterly capex reached $77.3bn, almost $20bn above expectations; the Q4 profit guide missed and retail ads softened. AWS acceleration makes the drop worth buying. Overweight; $370 target. x.com x.comÂ
AWS's rapid growth in a huge business makes the long-term outlook decisively bullish for Amazon and the AI ecosystem. AWS revenue grew 39.3% year over year in September 2026; management guides for growth above 40% in 2027 and 2028. Amazon is always very conservative with guidance, making that AI outlook doubly bullish. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Amazon's unusual long-term AWS guidance looks desperate and leaves its stock looking dead. @P_Remarks says Amazon normally avoids long-term guidance and speculates that its projection of over 40% AWS revenue growth in both 2027 and 2028 was a Hail Mary to offset a quarter weak relative to expectations. x.comÂ
Amazon's AWS growth remains strong despite slight earnings misses. AWS revenue rose 39% year over year in Q3. Increased 2027 capex could still weigh on the shares in the short term, even if demand continues to rise. x.com x.com x.com x.comÂ
Amazon's accelerating AWS growth at high margins shows the strength of its moat, but returns on heavy capex remain unproven. AWS grew 39% to $46B, its fastest growth in nearly five years, at a 38.7% operating margin; Amazon posted record operating income. Online stores grew 2%, while ads grew 11%, down from 26% last quarter. Trailing free cash flow fell to -$42.4B as net capex reached $210.7B. Returns on about $220B of planned 2026 capex remain the open question, with free cash flow the test. … Show more
Amazon looks set to rally into its Q1 report and then fall again, because heavy non-AWS investment weighs on operating income and the stock works in harvest years, not investment years. A clean operating income guide needs a huge AWS beat to flow through, and people already put out very high AWS numbers. Layoffs help, but not enough against data-center and fulfillment efficiency comps. It is a crowded long that has crushed Microsoft on relative performance, with market caps approaching parity. … Show more
Amazon's AWS acceleration is beginning to support the case for its heavy AI investment cycle. Q3 AWS revenue grew 39.3% to $46B and operating income rose 55% to $17.8B; company operating margin hit a record 13.9%. Andy Jassy says Prime Video generates tens of billions in annualized revenue and is independently profitable. The EPS miss, slower 11% ad growth and roughly $220B of 2026 capex remain worth watching, but the long-term view stays extremely bullish. x.comÂ
Amazon's faster AWS growth and broader profit support its investment case, but returns on infrastructure spending remain uncertain. AWS supplied about 60% of the $10.7B rise in operating income and North American retail about 37%. Trailing net capex of $210.7B exceeded $168.3B of operating cash flow. Much of the spend is on chips and servers with lives well under a decade; the test is how quickly capacity becomes AWS revenue. x.com x.com x.comÂ
The selloff in AI hyperscalers is a valuation and free cash flow reset on a still-tight buildout, not a thesis break. Alphabet raised 2026 capex to $195-205B and printed its first negative free cash flow quarter, and the market now asks whether capex converts to cash fast enough to justify prices. Capex can keep rising while the stocks fall. Watch whether capex guidance keeps climbing with confident monetization talk; a capex cut or negative memory server contracts would break the thesis. x.comÂ
Amazon's AWS acceleration keeps the AI investment bet compelling, but its financing burden is growing. AWS grew 39%, its fastest in five years, and operating margin reached a record 13.9%. Yet trailing free cash flow is negative $42.4B as capex exceeds cash generation, and long-term debt rose from $65.5B to $173.1B. The long-term bet is that AI changes everyday life enough to justify that spend. x.comÂ