Amazon's recent Q2 earnings report has sparked a significant dip in its stock price, with the company's Q3 net sales projections falling short of analyst expectations. Despite this setback, there are several compelling reasons to remain bullish on Amazon stock.
### 1. Robust Performance in Retail Division
Amazon's retail division has consistently shown strong top- and bottom-line momentum in recent quarters. In Q2, retail revenue from the North American segment increased by 9% year-over-year, reaching $90 billion. International revenue rose by 10% in constant currency, totaling $31.7 billion. Notable improvements in operating margins were also observed, with the North American retail segment's operating margin rising to 5.6%, up from 3.9% a year ago. This growth was attributed to better inventory management and reduced fulfillment costs.
### 2. AWS Growth Acceleration Impresses
Amazon Web Services (AWS) revenue grew by nearly 19% year-over-year to $26.3 billion, marking an acceleration from the previous quarter's growth of 17%. AWS's investments in custom silicon, such as Trainium and Inferentia chips, have improved the cost efficiency of cloud operations and provided significant margin expansion. AWS's operating margin expanded to 35.5% from 24.2% a year ago, driven by the increasing adoption of cloud services and the rising demand for Amazon's AI solutions.
### 3. Superb Profitability Improvements
Amazon's profitability and free cash flow (FCF) have shown significant improvements. The company's commitment to offering low prices and an extensive selection continues to attract customers, resulting in over five billion units being delivered either the same day or the next day. New Prime benefits, such as free restaurant delivery and expanded pharmacy services, are expected to further bolster customer loyalty and support margin growth.
### 4. Attractive Valuation
Amazon's valuation looks quite appealing, both from the perspective of free cash flow growth and its forward P/E ratio. The current stock price marks an attractive entry point, with an average stock forecast implying a 38% upside potential. Analysts remain bullish on Amazon, with a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 41 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months.
### Conclusion
Despite the recent dip, Amazon's strong retail results, accelerating AWS growth, and superb profitability improvements form a compelling bull case. The company's valuation