Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) Stock Rating Upgraded by BNP Paribas

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) was upgraded by analysts at BNP Paribas from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Amazon.com from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Amazon.com in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Amazon.com from $235.00 to $230.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Moffett Nathanson upped their target price on Amazon.com from $250.00 to $253.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Amazon.com in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, forty-five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Amazon.com currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $245.81.

Amazon.com Price Performance

Shares of AMZN stock opened at $223.30 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Amazon.com has a 12-month low of $151.61 and a 12-month high of $242.52. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $202.26 and a 200-day moving average of $209.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.37 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.33.

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The e-commerce giant reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.21. Amazon.com had a return on equity of 24.14% and a net margin of 10.14%. The firm had revenue of $155.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $154.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Amazon.com will post 6.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Shelley Reynolds sold 2,695 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.79, for a total value of $541,129.05. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 119,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,050,626.20. The trade was a 2.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Andrew R. Jassy sold 19,872 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.30, for a total value of $4,000,233.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 2,148,694 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $432,532,102.20. The trade was a 0.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 102,037 shares of company stock valued at $20,531,075 over the last quarter. 9.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amazon.com

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AMZN. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Amazon.com in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in Amazon.com during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Perritt Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in Amazon.com by 72.7% in the fourth quarter. Perritt Capital Management Inc now owns 190 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Cooksen Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Amazon.com during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Inlight Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Amazon.com in the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 72.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Amazon.com Company Profile

Amazon.com, Inc engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero; and develops and produces media content.