Nasdaq AMZN Amazon

Investing in the stock market isn't easy, especially during periods of volatility. The last year has been rough for many investors, and right now can be a daunting time to buy.However, now could actually be the buying opportunity of the decade. Some stocks are seeing their lowest

With the economy potentially headed for a recession, income investors should take a good look at their holdings, especially in the real estate investment trust (REIT) sector. REITs generally pay great yields, but they also use a lot of debt, which can lead to problems if the econ

If you have $30,000 to invest and are looking to strike it big in a decade or so, then it's a good idea to look at some companies exposed to megatrends in the economy. I think industrial software company PTC (NASDAQ: PTC), infrastructure software company Bentley Systems (NASDAQ:

Global stock markets have been on a rollercoaster ride since the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world. After closing at a record high on February 19, 2020, the U.S. stock market crashed due to the instability caused by an unprecedented pandemic. But, the stock market staged an unexpected comeback very soon and a bull market started on hopes of recovery and government stimulus. Tech stocks enjoyed a strong rally in 2020 as certain businesses, like e-commerce and cloud computing, gained immensely from pandemic-led tailwinds. In contrast, tech stocks were battered in 2022 amid high interest rates and fears of a looming recession.   Let’s take a look at the stocks of six tech giants and see where they stand compared to their pre-COVID highs (we’ll consider stock prices until February 19, 2020, for pre-COVID highs).   Amazon (AMZN) Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) stock has plunged from its pre-COVID high of $109.30. The stock closed at $89.87 on January 10, 2023, reflecting nearly 46% decline over the past year. It fell out of the trillion-dollar market cap club in November. Amazon shares skyrocketed in 2020 as consumers extensively depended on e-commerce retailers for various goods. However, as the economy reopened gradually, consumers started returning to physical stores, which led to a slowdown in Amazon’s revenue growth. Amazon stock rose just above 2% in 2021, lagging its FAANG peers. While the company’s Amazon Web Services cloud computing division has been resilient and helped in offsetting the weakness in retail business this year, investors are concerned about the deceleration in AWS and the overall revenue growth.     Is Amazon a Buy, Hold, or Sell? Wall Street remains bullish about Amazon’s long-term growth prospects based on its dominance in the e-commerce and cloud computing markets. The Street’s Strong Buy consensus rating is based on 36 Buys and three Holds. The average AMZN stock price target of $137.50 implies 53% upside potential.     Apple (AAPL) Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ) stock, which closed at $130.73 on January 10, 2023, has appreciated compared to its pre-COVID high of $81.96. Shares rose about 35% in 2021, following an 82% rally in 2020. Work, play, and learn-from-home trends drove solid demand for Apple’s Mac and iPads during the pandemic. However, iPhone sales declined in Fiscal 2020 (ended September 26, 2020) in anticipation of newer models. Despite supply chain issues, Apple’s iPhone sales bounced back strongly in Fiscal 2021. The company’s sales grew over 33% in Fiscal 2021, with strength across all product categories and Apple’s Services business. With fading pandemic tailwinds, persistent supply chain bottlenecks, and the impact of macro pressures on consumer spending, Apple’s sales growth slowed down to 7.8% in Fiscal 2022 (ended September 24, 2022).     What is the Target Price for Apple Stock? While Apple stock has fallen nearly 25% over the past year, Wall Street continues to be bullish about one of the world’s most innovative companies. The Strong Buy consensus rating for Apple is backed by 22 Buys and five Holds. At $174.71, the average AAPL stock price target implies 33.6% upside potential.     Meta Platforms (META) Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META , formerly Facebook) stock has fallen significantly from its pre-COVID high of $224.20 to $132.99 on January 10, 2023. The leading social media platform benefited from high ad spending during the pandemic as businesses rushed to reach a growing online customer base. However, a slowdown in ad spending following the economic reopening, growing competition from TikTok, and the shift to lower monetization products like Reels have weighed on Meta’s revenue in 2022. Furthermore, Apple’s iOS privacy changes have impacted Meta’s ability to target ads and have cost it billions of dollars. Investors are also concerned about the huge investments made by the company in its Metaverse projects.         Is Meta a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Wall Street is cautiously optimistic about Meta Platforms, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 29 Buys, eight Holds, and three Sells. At $148.08, the average Meta stock price target suggests upside potential of 11.4%. META stock has fallen more than 60% in the past 52 weeks. Microsoft (MSFT) Trading at $228.85 as of writing, Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) stock has advanced when compared to its pre-COVID high of $190.70. Nonetheless, the stock has declined over 27% in the past year. Microsoft has a diversified business model and is well known for its widely used Office 365 software, Windows operating system, hardware offerings, and Azure cloud computing platform. The company gained from rapid digitization and accelerated shift to the cloud triggered by work-from-home mandates during the pandemic. With the waning of COVID-led favorable trends, MSFT’s revenue growth has slowed down due to a deceleration in Azure growth and lower Windows revenue owing to weakness in the personal computers (PC) market. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy? Despite near-term headwinds, Wall Street is positive about Microsoft’s multiple revenue streams and solid fundamentals. The Strong Buy consensus rating for Microsoft stock is backed by 26 Buys and three Holds. The average MSFT stock price target of $286.13 implies 25% upside potential. Alphabet (GOOGL) (GOOG) Shares of Google parent Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) ( GOOG ) are trading above their pre-COVID high of $76.54 (for GOOGL). Alphabet’s overall revenue grew 41% in 2021 compared to 13% rise in 2020, driven by strength in ad spending during the pandemic. However, high inflation and macro pressures led to a pullback in ad spending this year and impacted revenue from YouTube and Google’s search ads.         Is Alphabet Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Wall Street is highly bullish about Alphabet based on 32 unanimous Buys. Analysts are confident that the company’s dominant position in the digital ads space will support long-term growth. Additionally, the rapid growth in Google Cloud revenue is worth paying attention though the business is not profitable yet. At $125.94, the average GOOGL stock price target implies 42.4% upside potential. GOOGL stock has tumbled 37% over the past year. Tesla (TSLA) We finally discuss electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla ( NASDAQ:TSLA ), which is often considered a tech stock by several investors and Tesla bulls. Supply chain and production disruptions triggered by the COVID-19 resurgence in China and macro pressures have dragged down Tesla stock this year. Also, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition and the subsequent distraction have shaken investor confidence. Tesla was one of the worst-performing stocks of 2022. It has plunged over 66% in the past 52 weeks to $118.85, as of January 10, 2023. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that the EV leader’s stock is still trading at a better level than the pre-COVID high of $64.60. What is the Average Price Target for Tesla? Despite ongoing economic pressures, several analysts are still optimistic about Tesla’s strong prospects in the lucrative EV market. The consensus Moderate Buy rating for TSLA stock is based on 20 Buys, nine Holds, and two Sells. The average TSLA stock price prediction of $251.48 indicates nearly 111.6% upside potential. Conclusion Among the six stocks discussed above, Amazon and Meta Platforms are trading below their pre-COVID highs. Wall Street analysts are looking beyond the near-term macro pressures and are highly optimistic about Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet. Meanwhile, they are cautiously optimistic about Tesla and Meta Platforms. Disclosure

U.S. clean energy companies are offering better wages and benefits, flying in trainers from overseas, and contemplating ideas like buying roofing and electric repair shops just to hire their workers as firms try to overcome a labor shortage that threatens to derail President Joe Biden's climate change agenda.

Microsoft stock (NASDAQ: MSFT) has lost 6.7% in the last week, underperforming the S&P 500 (up 1.2%). In addition, the same trend was observed over the last ten days (-8% vs 0.5%) and one month (-8.2% vs -1.5%). 

Amazon’s ( AMZN ) latest cost cutting initiative will see the company let go of more than 18,000 employees. Amongst the company’s segments, the Devices, Stores and People, Experience and Technology (PXT) teams will all badly affected by the company’s attempt to rein in expenses against a backdrop of worsening macro conditions. The extent of the cull in some segments has puzzled Morgan Stanley’s Brian Nowak. “Notably and somewhat surprisingly, a majority of the role eliminations will come in the Stores and PXT teams. We expected a significant amount of discipline in the Devices/Alexa teams, which we believe make up a majority of the estimated $10bn-15bn in AMZN's ‘Other Bets’ investment projects we have detailed the past,” Nowak opined In any case, Nowak reckons the headcount reduction will result in annual savings of ~$3.6 billion and add 13% to his 2024 EBIT forecast. “This is an important step,” he went on to say, “but we look for even more discipline on AMZN's $10-$15bn of non-core spend.” The cut to the workforce (and hiring freeze) should also have a positive effect on SBC (stock-based compensation) which could now be “significantly lower” in 2023/2024. Setting aside the harsh reality of 18,000 employees losing their jobs, Nowak thinks the cuts are “important symbolically,” and demonstrate another tech company taking hard but needed decisions on how to “better manage cash flow” against a backdrop of a “potentially more challenging” 2023/2024. At the same time, the company is expected to keep on investing so to hold on to its market leading position. All told, Nowak reiterated an Overweight (i.e., Buy) rating on AMZN, backed by a $140 price target. Should the figure be met, investors will be sitting on returns of ~56% a year from now. (To watch Nowak’s track record, click here ) Elsewhere on Wall Street, AMZN receives an additional 35 Buys, countered by just 3 Holds and all coalescing to a Strong Buy consensus rating. Going by the $137.85 average target, the shares have room for 12-month growth of 53%. ( See Amazon stock forecast on TipRanks) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’  Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is in talks to invest $10 billion in OpenAI, the owner of ChatGTP. Here is a breakdown of the news, what it means for Microsoft stock, and how it could affect competitors like Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN).

U.S. stocks ended solidly higher on Tuesday, led by a 1% gain in the Nasdaq, on relief that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained in a speech from commenting on rate policy.

Cloud-based software company Salesforce ( NYSE:CRM ) and e-commerce giant Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) have one thing in common. Last week, both companies announced layoffs and have gained back investors' interest driven by hopes of better margins in the future. Cost-control initiatives, indeed, are the need of the hour for these tech companies that can foresee revenue growth dipping further in the coming months. The layoffs of the tech industry that began in 2022 are continuing in 2023. The pandemic boom has subsided, and the economic downturn hints at even lower revenues in the coming quarters. In these uncertain times, however, layoffs can be a good thing. Let’s take a deeper look at CRM and AMZN. Salesforce ( NYSE:CRM)  Once an outperformer during the pandemic, CRM stock has come full circle, now trading near pre-pandemic levels. Citing a challenging macro environment and an inherent business slowdown, Salesforce resorted to 8,000 job cuts on January 4 ( 10% of its employees). Further, the company’s restructuring plan aims at cutting costs further and improving margins via a reduction in office space and selling of real estate. In a letter to its employees, Salesforce’s CEO Marc Benioff said, “As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that.” For reference, Salesforce's employee count stood at around 80,000 people at the end of October 2022. That is almost double its pre-pandemic employee count of 48,000 three years ago. The company expects to incur costs to the tune of $1.4 billion to $2.1 billion related to the cost-cutting measures. Out of that,  $800 million - $1 billion will be incurred in its Fiscal Q4 quarter, while $1.2 billion - $1.7 billion will be reported in the future. The company refrained from giving any long-term cost savings outlook arising from the restructuring plan. Looking at Salesforce's income statement, SG&A comprises a major chunk of operating costs. The job cuts, therefore, should certainly boost its margins, going forward. Meanwhile, Salesforce revenue growth has witnessed a disappointing slowdown, registering its lowest growth in years at 14% in Q3. The company expects that number to come down further in its upcoming Q4 results, expected to release on February 28. There are other issues facing the company, too, including the resignation of top executives. Co-CEO Bret Taylor stepped down from his position recently. Further, Slack’s CEO, Stewart Butterfield, also left the company (Slack was acquired by Salesforce in 2020). Longer term, the company aims to reach adjusted operating margins of 25% by FY2026 on the back of revenues of $50 billion. Given the current recessionary scenario, both targets look difficult to meet. Having said that, the restructuring initiatives, if successfully implemented, may move the company closer to its goals. Is CRM Stock a Strong Buy, According to Analysts? CRM stock commands a Strong Buy rating on Wall Street based on 27 Buys and eight Holds. Salesforce’s average price forecast of $193.45 implies 31.2% upside potential. Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN) Amazon had a very tough 2022. In fact, it broke a record, as it was the first listed company ever to lose over $1 trillion worth of valuation. Last week, Amazon announced its biggest job cuts ever, as it plans to let go of 18,000 workers. This represents around 6% of its total workforce. CEO Andy Jassy indicated that most of the layoffs will come from the company's e-commerce and human resources divisions. Positively, this could mean that Amazon’s growth engine, AWS, may not be impacted much by the job cuts. Looking back, COVID-19 winner Amazon multiplied its logistics networks worldwide and also significantly expanded its workforce to tap the enormous uproar in demand for online merchandise during the lockdowns. With things now back to normal, the abnormal demand subsided. On top of that, revenue growth and profitability took a further hit from rising interest rates, inflation, and subsequent consumer spending cuts in 2022. In such a scenario, the job cuts will help the company control its costs amid declining revenue expectations. Notably, while e-commerce revenues have dipped, Amazon’s key growth engine, AWS, remains resilient. AWS’s leadership position in the cloud infrastructure space is undeniable and presents a robust growth outlook for years to come. Is Amazon a Buy, According to Analysts? Despite the massive stock price losses in 2022, the Wall Street community continues to be optimistic about Amazon stock. Overall, the stock commands a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 36 Buys and three Holds. Amazon’s average price target of $137.50 implies 53% upside potential from current levels. The Takeaway Amazon and Salesforce have strong potential to grow in the long run, given their dominance. However, in the short term, both companies can remain range bound as they continue with cost-cutting initiatives to combat a slowdown. Disclosure

The European Commission wants to ask Big Tech and European Union telecoms providers about their investment outlays and cloud infrastructure plans before tabling legislation that could make the former pay for network costs, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday on relief that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained in a speech from commenting on rate policy.

U.S. stocks edged higher in afternoon trading Tuesday, led by big growth shares, on relief that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell refrained in a speech from commenting on rate policy.

After a growth spurt that accompanied pandemic-era lockdowns, e-commerce merchants faced slowing sales growth and tough comps, spurring some companies to look for additional ways to grow their businesses. As the world's leading online retailer, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) was hit harde

UK lawmakers have called on Amazon to clarify comments made by a senior executive at a recent parliamentary hearing, after an advocacy group accused him of providing "misleading" evidence concerning the company's treatment of warehouse workers.

Wall Street's main indexes rose on Tuesday as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell steered clear of commenting on the monetary policy outlook, with focus turning to an upcoming inflation reading scheduled for later this week.

What happened E-commerce giant Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock got a lift this morning after announcing that it will expand its Buy with Prime shopping program to make it "widely available to U.S.-based merchants by Jan. 31."

Last year was plagued by declines in the stock market, with numerous companies suffering losses as they faced macroeconomic headwinds. Despite its leading market share in multiple industries, Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock was not left unscathed, falling 46% over the past 12 month

Since Warren Buffett purchased a controlling stake in Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 and made it the foundation for his investing empire, the stock has seen staggering gains of more than 2,677,400%. That means that you'd now be sitting on a position valued above $26.7 million if you

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) together account for a huge percentage of all U.S. e-commerce, although they operate different models, with Amazon targeting consumers and Shopify targeting business clients. They both struggled in 2022, and their stocks ended the ye