Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher

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Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher

seekingalpha2021-06-21

Summary After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads. Amazon looks poised to ...

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G3113
·2021-06-22
?
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1
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Coffeecake
·2021-06-22
To the moon!!!!
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- UNCLEUNCLE:
  yes
  2021-06-22
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Rocketsky
·2021-06-22
?
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3
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MT2
·2021-06-22
No $ to buy in ald? it is too exp
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2
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khaukk
·2021-06-22
like n comments thanks
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2
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FannyGoh
·2021-06-22
Ok
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1
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GrowGrowGrow
·2021-06-22
Grow Grow Grow
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- FannyGoh:
  Ok
  2021-06-22
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Eded
·2021-06-22
A good write up , but the movement is slow
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Kccccc
·2021-06-22
Okay
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3
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Kccccc
·2021-06-22
Nice
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- GrowGrowGrow:
  Grow!
  2021-06-22
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CL777
·2021-06-22
Waiting for pullback to $3300
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- CL777Replying toSheryl85:
  Good
  2021-06-22
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- Sheryl85Replying toCL777:
  yea
  2021-06-22
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- potatochip:
  Okay! [Grin]
  2021-06-22
  Reply
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Bucktooths
·2021-06-22
Please like and comment
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Fartface
·2021-06-22
Next high time
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MTan
·2021-06-22
Nice
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Shiki0306
·2021-06-22
Ooooo
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- Aloynty:
  Liked
  2021-06-22
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tyng8825
·2021-06-22
Happy trading
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爱喝水的小猫猫
·2021-06-22
Support Prime Day!
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- Shiki0306:
  Yeah
  2021-06-22
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SKHan
·2021-06-22
Already so high.
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- BellaEng:
  ?
  2021-06-22
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Rteo
·2021-06-22
Sure?
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krrkyo
·2021-06-22
Great
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}\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","isBrief":false,"type":0,"news_type":1,"symbol":"AMZN","symbol_name":"亚马逊","start_time":0,"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","article_id":"1127414335","we_media_id":null,"thumbnails":[],"rights":null,"url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"sourceInfo":{"source_id":"seekingalpha","name":"Seeking Alpha"},"weMediaInfo":null,"summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","collect":0,"end_time":0,"defaultTopTitle":"seekingalpha.com","property":[],"viewcount":null,"language":"en","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"translate_title":"亚马逊的股票已经做好了下一轮上涨的准备","themeId":null,"isJumpTheme":false,"ttsUrl":null,"symbols_score_info":{"AMZN":0.9},"content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","kind":null,"is_publish_news":true,"is_publish_highlight":false,"is_publish_live":false,"is_publish_wemedia":null,"editions":null,"column":"","sentiment":"0","news_tag":"","news_rank":0,"symbols":[],"gpt_button":1},"commentList":[{"id":120681735,"gmtCreate":1624321554827,"gmtModify":1703833320517,"author":{"id":"3573191001665366","authorId":"3573191001665366","name":"G3113","avatar":"https://community-static.tradeup.com/news/9871a22da6d58de3e699d77467b37730","vip":1,"hat":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/b073a07f77dbe6b3bec6b12311fde6bd","crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":1,"idStr":"3573191001665366","authorIdStr":"3573191001665366"},"htmlText":"?","listText":"?","text":"?","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":1,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120681735","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120617689,"gmtCreate":1624321466941,"gmtModify":1703833314471,"author":{"id":"3571898360776789","authorId":"3571898360776789","name":"Coffeecake","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c4a012a00e1279b03369c6ec78341355","vip":1,"crmLevel":5,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3571898360776789","authorIdStr":"3571898360776789"},"htmlText":"To the moon!!!!","listText":"To the moon!!!!","text":"To the moon!!!!","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":1,"commentSize":1,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120617689","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"comments":[{"id":4944980,"gmtCreate":1624322573378,"gmtModify":1635252980284,"authorId":3578454236921942,"author":{"id":3578454236921942,"idStr":"3578454236921942","authorId":3578454236921942,"name":"UNCLEUNCLE","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/39d9ac757e81155e380be67c7f350841","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":1,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120617689,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"yes","text":"yes","html":"yes"}],"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120619313,"gmtCreate":1624321232432,"gmtModify":1703833307999,"author":{"id":"3576381287145388","authorId":"3576381287145388","name":"Rocketsky","avatar":"https://static.laohu8.com/default-avatar.jpg","vip":1,"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3576381287145388","authorIdStr":"3576381287145388"},"htmlText":"?","listText":"?","text":"?","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":3,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120619313","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120694351,"gmtCreate":1624320806373,"gmtModify":1703833286082,"author":{"id":"3576063871599903","authorId":"3576063871599903","name":"MT2","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/a4174df45339f61815455ce8da03c040","vip":1,"crmLevel":1,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3576063871599903","authorIdStr":"3576063871599903"},"htmlText":"No $ to buy in ald? it is too exp","listText":"No $ to buy in ald? it is too exp","text":"No $ to buy in ald? it is too exp","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":2,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120694351","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120609624,"gmtCreate":1624320350468,"gmtModify":1703833262437,"author":{"id":"3565793453280627","authorId":"3565793453280627","name":"khaukk","avatar":"https://static.laohu8.com/default-avatar.jpg","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3565793453280627","authorIdStr":"3565793453280627"},"htmlText":"like n comments thanks","listText":"like n comments thanks","text":"like n comments thanks","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":2,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120609624","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120846840,"gmtCreate":1624319915480,"gmtModify":1703833238964,"author":{"id":"4087388543954520","authorId":"4087388543954520","name":"FannyGoh","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/8238721d3b0a0d7c1baec8931e3c3a19","vip":1,"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":1,"idStr":"4087388543954520","authorIdStr":"4087388543954520"},"htmlText":"Ok","listText":"Ok","text":"Ok","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":1,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120846840","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120855331,"gmtCreate":1624319731723,"gmtModify":1703833227001,"author":{"id":"3582948757581957","authorId":"3582948757581957","name":"GrowGrowGrow","avatar":"https://static.laohu8.com/default-avatar.jpg","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3582948757581957","authorIdStr":"3582948757581957"},"htmlText":"Grow Grow Grow&nbsp;","listText":"Grow Grow Grow&nbsp;","text":"Grow Grow Grow","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":3,"commentSize":1,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120855331","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"comments":[{"id":4943554,"gmtCreate":1624319923727,"gmtModify":1663229660830,"authorId":4087388543954520,"author":{"id":4087388543954520,"idStr":"4087388543954520","authorId":4087388543954520,"name":"FannyGoh","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/8238721d3b0a0d7c1baec8931e3c3a19","vip":1,"currentWearingBadge":{"badgeId":"a83d7582f45846ffbccbce770ce65d84-1","templateUuid":"a83d7582f45846ffbccbce770ce65d84","name":"Real Trader","description":"Completed a transaction","bigImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/2e08a1cc2087a1de93402c2c290fa65b","smallImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4504a6397ce1137932d56e5f4ce27166","grayImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4b22c79415b4cd6e3d8ebc4a0fa32604","redirectLinkEnabled":0,"hasAllocated":1,"isWearing":1,"stampPosition":0,"hasStamp":0,"allocationCount":1,"allocatedDate":"2021.12.29","individualDisplayEnabled":0,"individualDisplaySort":0,"categoryType":1100},"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":1,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120855331,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"Ok","text":"Ok","html":"Ok"}],"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120822596,"gmtCreate":1624319442015,"gmtModify":1703833211752,"author":{"id":"3581980965309451","authorId":"3581980965309451","name":"Eded","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/41a629a3014601072ee8dc2d151d1796","vip":1,"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3581980965309451","authorIdStr":"3581980965309451"},"htmlText":"A good write up , but the movement is slow&nbsp;","listText":"A good write up , but the movement is slow&nbsp;","text":"A good write up , but the movement is slow","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":1,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120822596","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120822307,"gmtCreate":1624319434009,"gmtModify":1703833211265,"author":{"id":"3573374667527355","authorId":"3573374667527355","name":"Kccccc","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1e0e263a244073dc6f347025fdaa0b99","vip":1,"crmLevel":4,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3573374667527355","authorIdStr":"3573374667527355"},"htmlText":"Okay&nbsp;","listText":"Okay&nbsp;","text":"Okay","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":3,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120822307","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120826213,"gmtCreate":1624319407732,"gmtModify":1703833210120,"author":{"id":"3573374667527355","authorId":"3573374667527355","name":"Kccccc","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1e0e263a244073dc6f347025fdaa0b99","vip":1,"crmLevel":4,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3573374667527355","authorIdStr":"3573374667527355"},"htmlText":"Nice&nbsp;","listText":"Nice&nbsp;","text":"Nice","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":2,"commentSize":1,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120826213","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"comments":[{"id":4943455,"gmtCreate":1624319749973,"gmtModify":1663229661233,"authorId":3582948757581957,"author":{"id":3582948757581957,"idStr":"3582948757581957","authorId":3582948757581957,"name":"GrowGrowGrow","avatar":"https://static.laohu8.com/default-avatar.jpg","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120826213,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"Grow!","text":"Grow!","html":"Grow!"}],"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120821900,"gmtCreate":1624319340800,"gmtModify":1703833206392,"author":{"id":"3560241002253187","authorId":"3560241002253187","name":"CL777","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/e9aef3dd830373a0427a3447b1b564e3","vip":1,"crmLevel":6,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3560241002253187","authorIdStr":"3560241002253187"},"htmlText":"Waiting for pullback to $3300","listText":"Waiting for pullback to $3300","text":"Waiting for pullback to $3300","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":7,"commentSize":5,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120821900","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"comments":[{"id":4950611,"gmtCreate":1624338836658,"gmtModify":1663229698347,"authorId":3560241002253187,"author":{"id":3560241002253187,"idStr":"3560241002253187","authorId":3560241002253187,"name":"CL777","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/e9aef3dd830373a0427a3447b1b564e3","vip":1,"currentWearingBadge":{"badgeId":"1026c425416b44e0aac28c11a0848493-3","templateUuid":"1026c425416b44e0aac28c11a0848493","name":" Tiger Idol","description":"Join the tiger community for 1500 days","bigImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/8b40ae7da5bf081a1c84df14bf9e6367","smallImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/f160eceddd7c284a8e1136557615cfad","grayImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/11792805c468334a9b31c39f95a41c6a","redirectLinkEnabled":0,"hasAllocated":1,"isWearing":1,"stampPosition":0,"hasStamp":0,"allocationCount":1,"allocatedDate":"2024.09.20","individualDisplayEnabled":0,"individualDisplaySort":0,"categoryType":1001},"crmLevel":6,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":3563253186452228,"repliedAuthor":{"id":3563253186452228,"idStr":"3563253186452228","authorId":3563253186452228,"name":"Sheryl85","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/b7a9183a9332355f694e2f0af874b0ed","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"objectId":120821900,"type":1,"supId":4943881,"prevId":4950567,"content":"Good","text":"Good","html":"Good"},{"id":4950567,"gmtCreate":1624338586738,"gmtModify":1663229695241,"authorId":3563253186452228,"author":{"id":3563253186452228,"idStr":"3563253186452228","authorId":3563253186452228,"name":"Sheryl85","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/b7a9183a9332355f694e2f0af874b0ed","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":3560241002253187,"repliedAuthor":{"id":3560241002253187,"idStr":"3560241002253187","authorId":3560241002253187,"name":"CL777","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/e9aef3dd830373a0427a3447b1b564e3","vip":1,"currentWearingBadge":{"badgeId":"1026c425416b44e0aac28c11a0848493-3","templateUuid":"1026c425416b44e0aac28c11a0848493","name":" Tiger Idol","description":"Join the tiger community for 1500 days","bigImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/8b40ae7da5bf081a1c84df14bf9e6367","smallImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/f160eceddd7c284a8e1136557615cfad","grayImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/11792805c468334a9b31c39f95a41c6a","redirectLinkEnabled":0,"hasAllocated":1,"isWearing":1,"stampPosition":0,"hasStamp":0,"allocationCount":1,"allocatedDate":"2024.09.20","individualDisplayEnabled":0,"individualDisplaySort":0,"categoryType":1001},"crmLevel":6,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"objectId":120821900,"type":1,"supId":4943881,"prevId":4945915,"content":"yea","text":"yea","html":"yea"},{"id":4949829,"gmtCreate":1624335664025,"gmtModify":1663229692242,"authorId":3570923041276809,"author":{"id":3570923041276809,"idStr":"3570923041276809","authorId":3570923041276809,"name":"potatochip","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/279b09d8c5dbf0fd92a959709ef9b5ff","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120821900,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"Okay! [Grin]","text":"Okay! [Grin]","html":"Okay! [Grin]"},{"id":4945915,"gmtCreate":1624324165698,"gmtModify":1663229673248,"authorId":3560241002253187,"author":{"id":3560241002253187,"idStr":"3560241002253187","authorId":3560241002253187,"name":"CL777","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/e9aef3dd830373a0427a3447b1b564e3","vip":1,"currentWearingBadge":{"badgeId":"1026c425416b44e0aac28c11a0848493-3","templateUuid":"1026c425416b44e0aac28c11a0848493","name":" Tiger Idol","description":"Join the tiger community for 1500 days","bigImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/8b40ae7da5bf081a1c84df14bf9e6367","smallImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/f160eceddd7c284a8e1136557615cfad","grayImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/11792805c468334a9b31c39f95a41c6a","redirectLinkEnabled":0,"hasAllocated":1,"isWearing":1,"stampPosition":0,"hasStamp":0,"allocationCount":1,"allocatedDate":"2024.09.20","individualDisplayEnabled":0,"individualDisplaySort":0,"categoryType":1001},"crmLevel":6,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120821900,"type":1,"supId":4943881,"prevId":0,"content":"Yup","text":"Yup","html":"Yup"},{"id":4943881,"gmtCreate":1624320449764,"gmtModify":1663229660044,"authorId":3563253186452228,"author":{"id":3563253186452228,"idStr":"3563253186452228","authorId":3563253186452228,"name":"Sheryl85","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/b7a9183a9332355f694e2f0af874b0ed","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120821900,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"yes","text":"yes","html":"yes"}],"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120862483,"gmtCreate":1624319202342,"gmtModify":1703833196923,"author":{"id":"3575278133042310","authorId":"3575278133042310","name":"Bucktooths","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/81cb228fc4fb456a0876be4fcec91eef","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3575278133042310","authorIdStr":"3575278133042310"},"htmlText":"Please like and comment","listText":"Please like and comment","text":"Please like and comment","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":2,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120862483","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120882622,"gmtCreate":1624318989066,"gmtModify":1703833184156,"author":{"id":"3582069317908048","authorId":"3582069317908048","name":"Fartface","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/470c9be4dfb62e67c907abf0221774c3","vip":1,"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3582069317908048","authorIdStr":"3582069317908048"},"htmlText":"Next high time","listText":"Next high time","text":"Next high time","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":1,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120882622","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120815387,"gmtCreate":1624318743949,"gmtModify":1703833171518,"author":{"id":"3572471644458870","authorId":"3572471644458870","name":"MTan","avatar":"https://static.laohu8.com/default-avatar.jpg","vip":1,"hat":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/b073a07f77dbe6b3bec6b12311fde6bd","crmLevel":4,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3572471644458870","authorIdStr":"3572471644458870"},"htmlText":"Nice","listText":"Nice","text":"Nice","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":0,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120815387","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120816100,"gmtCreate":1624318709500,"gmtModify":1703833168905,"author":{"id":"3573425836738111","authorId":"3573425836738111","name":"Shiki0306","avatar":"https://static.laohu8.com/default-avatar.jpg","vip":1,"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3573425836738111","authorIdStr":"3573425836738111"},"htmlText":"Ooooo","listText":"Ooooo","text":"Ooooo","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":1,"commentSize":1,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120816100","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"comments":[{"id":4942996,"gmtCreate":1624318950766,"gmtModify":1663229659130,"authorId":3575873871496945,"author":{"id":3575873871496945,"idStr":"3575873871496945","authorId":3575873871496945,"name":"Aloynty","avatar":"https://community-static.tradeup.com/news/8bc156c78f1b8fc5d20a5b2da3a5b6aa","vip":1,"crmLevel":7,"crmLevelSwitch":1,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120816100,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"Liked","text":"Liked","html":"Liked"}],"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120813887,"gmtCreate":1624318606949,"gmtModify":1703833164025,"author":{"id":"3570852047190387","authorId":"3570852047190387","name":"tyng8825","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/96881c116505f25bd9b7404b76c5e06d","vip":1,"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3570852047190387","authorIdStr":"3570852047190387"},"htmlText":"Happy trading&nbsp;","listText":"Happy trading&nbsp;","text":"Happy trading","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":0,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120813887","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120810436,"gmtCreate":1624318562625,"gmtModify":1703833161904,"author":{"id":"3570566515210361","authorId":"3570566515210361","name":"爱喝水的小猫猫","avatar":"https://community-static.tradeup.com/news/e7ef4b0c19dbcbfb2e524fcc32c97dbf","vip":1,"hat":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/b073a07f77dbe6b3bec6b12311fde6bd","crmLevel":8,"crmLevelSwitch":1,"idStr":"3570566515210361","authorIdStr":"3570566515210361"},"htmlText":"Support Prime Day!","listText":"Support Prime Day!","text":"Support Prime Day!","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":2,"commentSize":1,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120810436","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"comments":[{"id":4942882,"gmtCreate":1624318725941,"gmtModify":1663229656236,"authorId":3573425836738111,"author":{"id":3573425836738111,"idStr":"3573425836738111","authorId":3573425836738111,"name":"Shiki0306","avatar":"https://static.laohu8.com/default-avatar.jpg","vip":1,"currentWearingBadge":{"badgeId":"44212b71d0be4ec88898348dbe882e03-1","templateUuid":"44212b71d0be4ec88898348dbe882e03","name":"Boss Tiger","description":"The transaction amount of the securities account reaches $100,000","bigImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c8dfc27c1ee0e25db1c93e9d0b641101","smallImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/f43908c142f8a33c78f5bdf0e2897488","grayImgUrl":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82165ff19cb8a786e8919f92acee5213","redirectLinkEnabled":0,"hasAllocated":1,"isWearing":1,"stampPosition":0,"hasStamp":0,"allocationCount":1,"allocatedDate":"2023.07.14","exceedPercentage":"60.77%","individualDisplayEnabled":0,"individualDisplaySort":0,"categoryType":1101},"crmLevel":3,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120810436,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"Yeah","text":"Yeah","html":"Yeah"}],"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120832163,"gmtCreate":1624318424652,"gmtModify":1703833156168,"author":{"id":"3573471135601329","authorId":"3573471135601329","name":"SKHan","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/edb016a1e76d427cf4bc5ef3a5d38289","vip":1,"crmLevel":4,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3573471135601329","authorIdStr":"3573471135601329"},"htmlText":"Already so high.","listText":"Already so high.","text":"Already so high.","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":1,"commentSize":1,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120832163","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"comments":[{"id":4942768,"gmtCreate":1624318484368,"gmtModify":1663229658331,"authorId":3576533774112300,"author":{"id":3576533774112300,"idStr":"3576533774112300","authorId":3576533774112300,"name":"BellaEng","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/dde1682b37a7cdb8f3de06cedadd8083","vip":1,"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[]},"repliedAuthorId":0,"objectId":120832163,"type":1,"supId":0,"prevId":0,"content":"?","text":"?","html":"?"}],"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120830129,"gmtCreate":1624318259161,"gmtModify":1703833147492,"author":{"id":"3582595806100338","authorId":"3582595806100338","name":"Rteo","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/ba4c61a94c707cd25f18400b8cc52a4c","vip":1,"crmLevel":2,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3582595806100338","authorIdStr":"3582595806100338"},"htmlText":"Sure?","listText":"Sure?","text":"Sure?","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":0,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120830129","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"},{"id":120899118,"gmtCreate":1624317958834,"gmtModify":1703833133514,"author":{"id":"3583621311082172","authorId":"3583621311082172","name":"krrkyo","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/dce31614fdd21f31a86bfa6961a8af61","vip":1,"crmLevel":4,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"idStr":"3583621311082172","authorIdStr":"3583621311082172"},"htmlText":"Great","listText":"Great","text":"Great","images":[],"top":1,"highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":0,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"link":"https://ttm.financial/post/120899118","repostId":1127414335,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1127414335","pubTimestamp":1624288763,"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/1127414335?lang=&edition=fundamental","pubTime":"2021-06-21 23:19","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1127414335","media":"seekingalpha","summary":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to con","content":"Summary\n<ul>\n <li>After a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.</li>\n <li>Amazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).</li>\n <li>The stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.</li>\n <li>Today, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.</li>\n</ul>\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n<ol>\n <li>Retail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth</li>\n <li>Amazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring</li>\n <li>Digital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS</li>\n</ol>\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/86ef0b4ba9477ffe4662dd02b4a4fe56\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&amp;P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/450a291ce832606dc4568f5b000a234b\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/484d6ffb34aa711d2460f56878a19b30\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"277\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f684da9379808e65eb00bac24f21bd5\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/de1ec1d647bed5d59e91bdaa0535d25e\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"420\">\nSource:&nbsp;Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/4f1ccee71f8675c6cabd16cf4e08733d\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">Source: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/9c041f8732f0e9557d632f4bc3444b54\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"379\">\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/c6b99e2dd54b3885cd7542d213be0429\" tg-width=\"640\" tg-height=\"635\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\">\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n<ul>\n <li>In step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.</li>\n <li>In step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).</li>\n <li>In step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.</li>\n</ul>\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/82136b2cd82ebf242b95eb6d17e2f4b1\" tg-width=\"620\" tg-height=\"538\">\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/50a3cb8964e421080c530abc1b3d62bf\" tg-width=\"603\" tg-height=\"729\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\n<img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/1fb09f1799ac5ea2741e204766b4df3c\" tg-width=\"605\" tg-height=\"429\">Source: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n<ul>\n <li>Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Furthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.</li>\n <li>Since Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.</li>\n <li>In the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.</li>\n <li>For the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.</li>\n <li>Also, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.</li>\n <li>Amazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.</li>\n <li>The healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.</li>\n</ul>\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","source":"seekingalpha","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Amazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher</title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAmazon's Stock Is Ready For The Next Leg Higher\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2021-06-21 23:19 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher>seekingalpha</a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\nSummary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to ...\n\n<a href=\"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher\">Web Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"AMZN":"亚马逊"},"source_url":"https://seekingalpha.com/article/4435860-amazons-stock-is-ready-for-the-next-leg-higher","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/5a36db9d73b4222bc376d24ccc48c8a4","article_id":"1127414335","content_text":"Summary\n\nAfter a year-long consolidation in stock prices, Amazon looks set to move higher due to continued momentum in its higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nAmazon looks poised to blow past $500B in annual sales in 2021 with massive improvements in operating margins (profitability).\nThe stock is trading well below its fair value of $5,900 per share, and investors could generate ~19% CAGR returns over the next decade with Amazon.\nToday, I will share my analysis that suggests a fresh leg higher for Amazon's stock. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the key risks faced by the company.\n\nInvestment Thesis\nAmazon (AMZN) is delivering robust revenue and profitability growth in 2021 on top of the stellar numbers registered during the pandemic in 2020. However, investors watching Amazon's stock over the last 12 months or so would be led to think otherwise. After a big move last year, the stock has virtually frozen since mid 2020. In times where meme stock investors are making a lot of tendies (profits), Amazon's near-term underperformance has been disappointing for many long-term investors. However, things could look a lot different in the next 6-12 months. Amazon is set to scale new highs, and I will outline why that's the case in this article.\nThe primary driver of a company's price is free cash flow, and Amazon is poised to deliver a lot more of it. Amazon's higher-margin businesses, i.e., Amazon Web Services and Digital Ads (hidden in the \"Other\" segment in financial statements), are seeing accelerated growth. Furthermore, Amazon's e-commerce business also is delivering huge amounts of free cash flow at scale. Over the last 12 months, Amazon garnered $67B of cash from operations, which represents a 69% year-over-year jump. With business showing no signs of slowing down in the post-pandemic world and impending reduction in pandemic costs (billions of dollars per quarter), Amazon could very well deliver a big jump in free cash flow this year. As you may know, Amazon's balance sheet already is a fortress. However, the cash pile is getting so large that initiation of a capital return program could become imperative in the next three to four years.\nAfter evaluating Amazon using the LASV model, I deduced that the company is worth ~$5,900 per share. This projection means that Amazon is massively undervalued at the moment. Over the last 12 months, Amazon's trading multiples have shrunk back to normalized levels and future growth in revenue and free cash flow are very likely to result in higher stock prices.\nThe Tale Of A Year-Long Consolidation\nAt BTM, we own Amazon since it was at around $1,750. However, after a big rally in 2020, we rated the stock a modest buy for quite some time. And so, we are not really surprised by the year-long consolidation.\nHere's our extensive research work on Amazon:\n\nRetail Ecosystem -Amazon: Here Is What The Retail Segment Is Worth\nAmazon Web Services -Amazon: Here's What You Should Be Monitoring\nDigital Ads -Amazon: The 'Other' Segment May Be Worth More Than AWS\n\nSource: YCharts\nNow, our modest buy ratings from last year have been justified. Amazon has underperformed the S&P 500 index by around 6% in the previous 12-month period. With continued business momentum and stagnant stock price, Amazon's trading multiples have been falling down rapidly since August-2020.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAfter rapid normalization in trading multiples due to excellent financial performance, we upgraded the stock at BTM after the latest quarterly report. Although Amazon's underperformance over the last year has been demoralizing for long-term investors, I believe this is the right time to get onboard before a fresh rally ensues in the stock.\nWhy Is Amazon Ready To Move Higher?\nIn Q1 2021, Amazon recorded net sales of $108B (up +44% y/y) on the back of swift acceleration in AWS and Ad revenues (\"Other\" segment). Furthermore, we're seeing continued momentum in Amazon's e-commerce and streaming businesses. The following data serves as evidence for the same:\n\nSource:Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nWith acceleration in higher-margin revenue lines, Amazon's operating margin (profitability) is improving rapidly. In the latest quarter, Amazon's TTM operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.63%. At this point, I recommend you read our research coverage on Amazon (shared earlier in this article) to understand the dynamics at play in different business lines at the company.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAs you may already know, Amazon is an emerging operating leverage story. In Q1, Amazon's operating income increased by ~122% y/y to come in at $8.865B (rapid q/q acceleration). Over the next 12 months, Amazon would likely deliver an operating income of ~$40-50B. This massive jump in operating income will translate into greater amounts of free cash flow (and, by extension, a higher share price).\n\nSource: Amazon Q1 2021 Earnings Release\nSince 2018, Amazon has seen a big jump in Cash from Operations, which has gone up ~3.5x from ~$20B per year to ~$70B per year in 2021. Amazon, being Amazon, has invested massive amounts of this cash back into its business to drive future revenue growth, resulting in lower levels of free cash flow ($26.5B in 2020). Therefore, I believe Amazon's true free cash flow is much higher than its reported numbers.\nSource: YCharts\nThe massive amounts of cash being generated by Amazon are starting to pile up on the balance sheet (which had roughly $34B of cash at the end of last quarter). Further margin expansion is likely to create even more free cash flow over coming quarters and years, and this cash pile will only grow bigger. At some point in the near future, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders through buybacks or dividends. My estimate is that Amazon would start a capital return program by 2025, but I will discuss this prediction in a separate note in the future.\n\nSource: YCharts\nAmazon is expected to record ~$500B in annual sales in 2021 and I expect Amazon to take over the title of the \"largest company by sales\" in 2022. In my opinion, Amazon still has massive growth left in its armory. According to consensus analyst estimates on Seeking Alpha, Amazon would likely be raking in revenue of $1.5T per year by 2030.\n\nSource:Seeking Alpha\nI believe these numbers are achievable. In fact, they're very likely to materialize over the next decade. AWS, Digital Ads, and Amazon Care (in-house healthcare offering (at least for now)) are likely to be the primary drivers of future free cash flow for the company. Now, let's estimate the fair value and expected returns for Amazon.\nFair Value And Expected Returns\nTo determine Amazon's fair value, we will employ our proprietary valuation model. Here's what it entails:\n\nIn step 1, we use a traditional DCF model with free cash flow discounted by our (shareholders) cost of capital.\nIn step 2, the model accounts for the effects of the change in shares outstanding (buybacks/dilutions).\nIn step 3, we normalize valuation for future growth prospects at the end of the 10 years. Then, using today's share price and the projected share price at the end of 10 years, we arrive at a CAGR. If this beats the market by enough of a margin, we invest. If not, we wait for a better entry point.\n\nWith massive amounts of cash flow being generated from operations, Amazon could soon find itself with the good problem of having too much cash on its balance sheet. At some point over the next decade, Amazon will need to start returning capital to shareholders (via buybacks or dividends). I will share my analysis as to when that would happen some other time. However, for now, we will build our valuation without accounting for future capital return programs.\nAssumptions:\n\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs per my estimation, Amazon is worth ~$5,900 per share. The stock is trading at ~$3,400, which means Amazon has a near-term upside of +73.5% to its fair value. By utilizing conservative assumptions, we have ensured that our valuation has an ample margin of safety built into it.\nTo calculate the total expected return, we simply grow the above free cash flow per share at our conservative growth rate, then assign a conservative multiple, i.e., 30x, to it for year 10. This creates a conservative intrinsic value projection by which we determine when and where to deploy our capital.\nHere are the results:\nSource: L.A. Stevens Valuation Model\nAs you can see above, Amazon's stock price could grow from ~$3,400 to ~$18,750 at a CAGR of ~18.6% in the next 10 years. Since we haven't considered future buybacks and dividends in today's valuation, there's a good chance that Amazon will outperform our expected return projections. My investment hurdle rate is 15%, and since Amazon's expected return is above this level, I rate Amazon a buy.\nRisks\n\nAmazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, is set to step down as Amazon CEO and transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. His replacement is AWS CEO Andy Jassy, who is a very capable business leader, as evidenced by AWS's rise from zero to $50 billion annual revenue business in just 15 years. However, an executive leadership change of this magnitude carries several risks, and we will be keeping a keen eye on Andy over the next few earning calls to understand his vision for Amazon.\nFurthermore, the leadership transition comes at a time when Amazon is facing rising pressure from regulators and lawmakers. In the recent big tech antitrust hearing, most lawmakers came away with the conclusion that Amazon is anti competitive (along with Facebook (FB), Alphabet (GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL)). With the threat of a DOJ investigation looming large, investors might be nervous about potential outcomes. Any monetary fine would simply be the cost of doing business. For years, Amazon's FCF machine - AWS - has supported the aggressive expansion (anti-competitive behavior) of its retail ecosystem. Therefore, a potential (government-enforced) break up of Amazon is viewed by many as a massive risk for the company. However, Amazon's retail ecosystem is self sustainable now (generates positive FCF), and any breakup could unlock value for shareholders. We shared our views on this topic in thisnote.\nSince Amazon's Ads business is not reliant on personal information for Ad targeting (unlike Facebook and Alphabet), we do not see any major headwinds for this still-emerging, yet crucial business line.\nIn the near term, Amazon's e-commerce business could come under pressure as life returns to a new normal in the post-pandemic world. The massive jump in e-commerce revenue could reverse somewhat in upcoming quarters as people regain mobility.\nFor the first time in over 15 years, Amazon lost market share to Shopify (SHOP) in 2020. This is a new challenge for Amazon, and the digitization efforts from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) are likely to result in greater competition for Amazon.\nAlso, Microsoft's Azure (MSFT) is growing faster than AWS (albeit from a lower revenue base). Under Satya Nadella's leadership, Microsoft has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the cloud services industry. If AWS fails to retain its market leadership position, Amazon could fall short of our projections.\nAmazon's Digital Ads business is likely to be critical to future success for the company. With the threat of potential regulations hanging over the digital ad industry, the numbers projected for this line of business may not materialize.\nThe healthcare offering being built at Amazon could be the next big thing (business) to emerge from the company (like AWS, Prime Video, etc.). However, healthcare is a very complicated industry, and pure-plays like Teladoc have a much better chance of winning this market opportunity. Since we are well aware of Amazon's innovation capabilities, I wouldn't necessarily attribute this spending to be an unwarranted risk.\n\nConcluding Thoughts\nAmazon's higher-margin businesses are firing on all cylinders (accelerating growth), and while the stock has remained in a tight channel for almost a year now, the second half of 2021 could bring a fresh leg higher. As we saw earlier in this article, Amazon's operating margins are improving steadily due to the rapid growth of higher-margin businesses, i.e., AWS and Digital Ads.\nIn the last 12 months or so, Amazon's stock has been consolidating in a sideways channel. During this time, trading multiples have normalized, and Amazon is now trading at pre-pandemic levels. With robust revenue growth and margin expansion on the horizon, Amazon's stock is set to move higher.\nKey Takeaway: I rate Amazon a buy at $3,400.\nThanks for reading, remember to follow for more, and happy investing!","news_type":1},"isVote":1,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"tweetType":1,"langContent":"EN"}],"hasMoreComments":true,"newsSizeData":{"likeSize":454,"commentSize":149,"repostSize":0,"favoriteSize":0,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false}}