Nasdaq AMZN Amazon

Wall Street's main indexes were set for a higher open on Wednesday after data pointed to a cooling labor market, while a pullback in U.S. Treasury yields from their multi-year highs also supported investor sentiment.

December S&P 500 futures (ESZ23) are up +0.18%, and December Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQZ23) are up +0.21% this morning as Treasury yields retreated, with investors’ focus now shifting to the ADP National Employment numbers due later in the day.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) may not be the most direct competitors.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has struggled to grow its top line this year. Revenue fell 1% year over year during its most recently reported quarter, and management called for more of the same in the current fiscal fourth quarter.

December S&P 500 futures (ESZ23) are down -0.03%, and December Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQZ23) are down -0.07% this morning as Treasury yields found firmer footing, with investors’ focus now shifting to the ADP National Employment numbers due later in the day.

December S&P 500 futures (ESZ23) are down -0.03%, and December Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQZ23) are down -0.07% this morning as Treasury yields found firmer footing, with investors’ focus now shifting to the ADP National Employment numbers due later in the day.

December S&P 500 futures (ESZ23) are down -0.03%, and December Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQZ23) are down -0.07% this morning as Treasury yields found firmer footing, with investors’ focus now shifting to the ADP National Employment numbers due later in the day.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is a leader in the two enormous growth markets of e-commerce and cloud computing, and that's helped the company's market value and earnings soar over the years. But to stay ahead in these competitive fields, Amazon has spent a bundle. In fact, just last year

When volatility and uncertainty rule the roost on Wall Street, investors often seek out industry-leading, time-tested businesses with a rich history of outperforming the broader market. Since July 2021, companies enacting stock splits have been at the top of the list.

The "will-they-won't-they" discussion over yen intervention has now morphed to "did-they-didn't-they" speculation, after the Japanese currency briefly breached 150 per dollar in U.S. trade and then abruptly reversed course, strengthening to 147.30.

Tech stocks have been declining recently on fears that elevated interest rates for a prolonged period might push the economy into a recession. Nonetheless, several tech names remain attractive due to their strong fundamentals and attractive long-term growth potential. We used TipRanks’ Stock Comparison Tool to place Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ), Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ), and Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL , GOOG ) against each other to find the stock that could deliver the highest returns. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Apple is known for its solid brand name and a compelling portfolio of hardware products, including iPhone, Mac, and iPad. The company also has a Services business, which is expanding at a rapid growth rate. Apple exceeded analysts’ earnings expectations for the fiscal third quarter (ended July 1, 2023), even as the top line declined 1.4% year-over-year to $81.8 billion. Revenue was impacted by lower iPhone, Mac, and iPad sales due to macro pressures. That said, the 8.2% growth in Services revenue helped offset the weakness in major hardware lines to some extent.     While the long-term prospects for Apple seem attractive, recent news related to the overheating issue in iPhone 15 and persistent macro headwinds have weighed on investor sentiment. Shares have declined over 8% in the past one month but are still up 34% year-to-date. Is Apple a Buy or Sell Now? On Tuesday, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan reiterated a Hold rating on Apple stock with a price target of $208. The analyst remains on the sidelines as positive catalysts of new product introductions like AR/VR headset and iPhone 15 are offset by a potentially weaker consumer spending environment in the second half of the year. Mohan also cited the growing threat from actions taken by China (like a ban on iPhone for government officials and changes in App store guidelines) as one of the reasons for his Hold rating. Overall, Wall Street is cautiously optimistic on AAPL stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 21 Buys and eight Holds. The average price target of $207.69 implies 19.5% upside potential. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) E-commerce and cloud computing giant Amazon impressed investors by returning to double-digit sales growth in the second quarter. Further, the company’s cost-reduction and streamlining efforts drove an EPS of $0.65 in Q2 2023 compared to a loss of $0.20 per share in the year-ago quarter. Looking ahead, Amazon expects to benefit from the significant interest of enterprises in generative artificial intelligence (AI). The company is confident that Amazon Web Service (AWS) is well positioned to be customers’ long-term partner in building generative AI applications. Amazon recently announced a $4 billion investment in OpenAI-rival AI firm Anthropic as part of its AI ambitions. Is Amazon a Good Stock to Buy Now? On Tuesday, Mizuho analyst James Lee reiterated a Buy rating on AMZN with a price target of $180, calling the stock his top pick. Lee said that checks with sales channels revealed that demand for AWS services remained stable after a notable improvement in Q2 2023. He said early budgeting for 2024 indicates accelerating AWS demand. Like Lee, UBS analyst Lloyd Walmsley is also bullish on Amazon and raised his price target to $180 from $175 on Monday. Walmsley is optimistic that the launch of video ads within Prime Video content will generate substantial revenues and significantly enhance AMZN’s margins. Amazon plans to include ads in Prime Video shows and movies from early 2024, initially in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada, and later expand to additional countries. Walmsley expects Prime Video ads in the U.S. alone to generate $6.2 billion in incremental venue and boost EPS by $0.40 over time, adding nearly 1.2% to North America retail margins. With 40 Buys vs. one Hold, Amazon stock earns a Strong Buy consensus rating. The average price target of $176.02 implies 36% upside potential. Shares have risen 54% since the start of this year. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL, GOOG) Google’s parent company Alphabet reported better-than-expected second-quarter results, even as macro pressures continue to impact ad spending. A 28% revenue growth in the company’s Google Cloud business fueled the upbeat performance in Q2 2023. Alphabet is incorporating generative AI into several products, including Google Search, to expand its total addressable market and attract more customers. Moreover, its AI-optimized Google Cloud platform is preferred by several customers for developing and training generative AI models. Alphabet claims that over 70% of generative AI startups, including Cohere, Jasper, and Typeface, are Google Cloud clients. What is the Target Price for GOOGL Stock? On Tuesday, Piper Sandler analyst Thomas Champion lowered his price target to $147 from $148 but reiterated a Buy rating on Alphabet stock, calling the tech giant an AI winner. The analyst noted that shares have outperformed the broader market despite the ongoing antitrust trial and thinks that GOOGL’s valuation remains “undemanding.” Champion highlighted that the company’s filings reveal updated purchase commitments, suggesting additional AI and data center investments. Accordingly, the analyst increased his capital expenditure estimate. “Looking ahead, we see an improving picture for core Search and new Cloud/AI revenue streams emerging,” concluded Champion. Wall Street has a Strong Buy consensus rating on GOOGL stock, backed by 31 Buys and four Holds. At $150.67, the average price target implies 12.3% upside. Shares have advanced 52% year-to-date. Conclusion Wall Street is highly bullish on Amazon and Alphabet, but cautiously optimistic about Apple. Among these three tech giants, analysts see the highest upside potential in AMZN stock. Amazon’s dominance in e-commerce and cloud computing markets and lucrative AI prospects make it an attractive tech stock. Disclosure

The S&P 500 index closed at its lowest level since June 1 on Tuesday as economic data underscored the view the Federal Reserve may need to keep interest rates high.

What you need to know… The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Tuesday closed down -1.37%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed down -1.29%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed down -1.83%. Stocks on Tuesday sold off sharply, with the...

Major U.S. stock indexes ended sharply lower on Tuesday as economic data underscored the view the Federal Reserve may need to keep interest rates high.

Hydrogen technology startup Electric Hydrogen (EH2) was valued at $1 billion after a financing round, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Tech stocks were lower late Tuesday afternoon, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) falling 2% and the Philadelphia Semiconductor index shedding 2.4%.

Hydrogen technology startup Electric Hydrogen (EH2) was valued at $1 billion after a financing round, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Major U.S. stock indexes fell at least 1% Tuesday afternoon, with the Dow dipping into negative territory for the year, as economic data underscored the view the Federal Reserve may need to keep interest rates high.

What happened Shares of Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) slid 3% through 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday after Reuters -- in an exclusive report -- warned that British regulators may launch an antimonopoly investigation into the company's dominance of the cloud computing marketplacej.

September saw eight more companies involved in artificial intelligence (AI) commit to the White House to follow security safeguards not currently required by government legislation voluntarily. These eight names are some of the best AI companies. The move began in July with commitments from Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ), Anthropic, Alphabet’s ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) Google, Inflection, Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META ), Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) and OpenAI.    “These commitments, which the companies have chosen to undertake immediately, underscore three principles that must be fundamental to the future of AI – safety, security, and trust – and mark a critical step toward developing responsible AI,” stated the July 21 statement from the White House.  It’s not just the right thing for these companies to do; it’s good business. All of them will make tremendous amounts of money from AI. To be responsible about how the technology evolves is merely taking care of their business interests. You have four possible AI stocks to buy from the eight names above. With the addition of Adobe ( NASDAQ:ADBE ), International Business Machines ( NYSE:IBM ), Palantir ( NYSE:PLTR ), Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ), and Salesforce ( NASDAQ:CRM ), there are another five possible options. Here are the three I would buy.  Nvidia (NVDA) Nvidia stock got some help on September 29 when Citi analysts commented to clients that the chipmaker’s Blackwell B100 GPU would be a significant catalyst to future sales. Its shares rose slightly on the news. They’re now up 206.9% year-to-date. From a financial standpoint, the company has never been healthier. CEO Jensen Huang’s proactive move to everything AI has created a cash-flow gusher that won’t be shut down for some time. According to reporting from The New York Times, Nvidia now accounts for 70% of AI chip sales . In Q2 2024, its Data Center revenue was $10.32 billion, 141% higher than Q1 2024 and 171% higher than a year earlier. The segment includes Nvidia’s flagship H100 AI chip. As a result, its free cash flow in the first six months of 2024 was $8.7 billion, about 4x the amount from a year ago. I would not be surprised to see it generate $20 billion in free cash flow for the entire fiscal year. I’ve liked Nvidia for many years. It all comes down to Huang. He’s easily one of the top CEOs in America. He’s not afraid to make big bets, and they usually pay off.   Adobe (ADBE) Adobe stock isn't having the same kind of year in the markets as Nvidia, but it's still up more than 54% in 2023. In mid-September, the content creation software provider launched Adobe Firefly, the company’s generative AI platform. “With over 2 billion images generated during the Firefly beta, Generative AI is ushering in a new era of creative expression for customers across every segment,” said David Wadhwani, president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. At the same time it launched Firefly, it released its Q3-2023 results. It reported record quarterly revenue of $4.89 billion, 13% higher excluding currency over Q2 2022. It finished the quarter with Remaining Performance Obligations (RPOs) of $15.7 billion. The company is also raising prices for its Creative Cloud subscriptions. For the nine months ended September 1, 2023, its subscription revenue rose 9% to $13.5 billion. Analysts generally like ADBE stock. Of the 28 who have covered it in the past three months, 27 rate it Hold or an outright Buy -- I consider anything over 50% good -- with a consensus target price of $600.77, 15% higher than where it’s currently trading.  I like Adobe for two reasons: its customers are very loyal, and Firefly will help it make them more so. Microsoft (MSFT) It’s hard to believe that Microsoft has the worst performance of these three stocks in 2023, up 31.3% year-to-date. However, over the past five years, its stock is up 202.9%, nearly double the performance of the Nasdaq 100 ( NDX ). Over the long haul, it's hard to go wrong with MSFT. Goldman Sachs analyst Kash Rangan believes Microsoft’s AI initiatives are on track to provide it with another significant revenue stream.    “Microsoft’s speed to market, strong presence across the tech stack and well-established footprint within the enterprise give us confidence that Microsoft is well positioned to drive growth on the back of these announcements and be a key leader in the Gen-AI era,” CNBC reported, quoting the analyst’s comments on October 1. Further, the company’s Microsoft 365 product should continue to capture more of the $135 billion total addressable market it competes in. And that doesn’t consider Azure, Windows, and all its other products and services. Fifty-two analysts cover MSFT stock, and 34 have given ratings in the past three months. Rangan has a Buy rating and a $400 target price, while all the remaining analysts have a Hold or outright Buy rating on the stock, with a $397.19 consensus price target, implying 23.4% upside potential. I like Microsoft stock because CEO Satya Nadella continues to create significant revenue streams across the most crucial tech areas, including AI and the cloud. Nadella and Huang are two of the best CEOs. Disclosure