On Monday, Truist Securities maintained a Buy rating on shares of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) with a steady price target of $270. The firm's analysis suggests a strong start to the holiday season, with expectations for record highs in U.S. e-commerce and digital advertising spending.
The optimism is underpinned by a robust consumer environment, supported by healthy employment and income growth, along with more efficient digital channels that have evolved over two years of pandemic-driven changes and advancements in AI.
According to InvestingPro data, key players in the digital advertising space like Meta are showing impressive growth, with Meta's revenue increasing by 23% in the last twelve months.
Truist's tracking indicates that Amazon is poised to capture approximately 49% of U.S. e-commerce market share. The firm's assessment of Amazon's performance through December 2 indicates results that are in line with or slightly better than expectations.
The positive trend is anticipated to extend to digital advertising revenues, benefiting not only Amazon but also other major players like Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD), and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL).
Meta, in particular, has demonstrated strong market positioning, with InvestingPro analysis showing excellent financial health metrics and 26 analysts recently revising earnings estimates upward. Want deeper insights? InvestingPro offers comprehensive research reports for over 1,400 US stocks, including detailed analysis of digital advertising leaders.
The firm's analysis of Truist Card data for the quarter to date shows that Amazon's U.S. Revenue is tracking at or slightly above the current consensus estimate of $114.5 billion for the fourth quarter of 2024. Truist's own estimate stands marginally higher at $114.7 billion.
For Amazon's consolidated revenues, the consensus is at $187.3 billion, with Truist's projection slightly higher at $187.8 billion, which is at the upper end of the company's guidance range of $181.5 to $188.5 billion.
Truist Securities highlighted the importance of recognizing that the fourth quarter is typically weighted towards the latter part, suggesting that the full impact of the holiday season on Amazon's performance will become clearer as the quarter progresses. The firm's current data aligns with or exceeds expectations, indicating a positive outlook for Amazon's financial performance in the final quarter of the year.
In other recent news, Meta Platforms reported a significant legal victory that may impact its competitors, as a U.S. appeals court upheld legislation mandating ByteDance to sell TikTok.
Meta also announced a $0.50 quarterly dividend, continuing its practice of returning value to shareholders. In the tech sector, Piper Sandler analysts revealed a strong outlook for IT spending, suggesting a dynamic year ahead for tech companies.
Meta is embarking on a project to construct a fiber-optic subsea cable that will encircle the globe, an initiative expected to surpass $10 billion in investment. Raymond (NS:RYMD) James reaffirmed its Strong Buy rating on Meta shares, citing the company's potential for growth in artificial intelligence and generative AI by 2025.
These developments highlight the dynamic nature of the tech sector and the robust demand for tech solutions. They also underscore Meta's competitive stance in the social media landscape and its commitment to shareholder returns.
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