Great Lakes Retirement Reduces Stake in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Great Lakes Retirement Inc. has reduced its investment in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, as disclosed in their recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). After selling 2,127 shares in this period, the institutional investor now holds 115,121 shares of the e-commerce company.

Amazon.com constitutes 3.3% of Great Lakes Retirement Inc.'s total investment portfolio, making it the third-largest holding for this institutional investor. By the end of the most recent reporting period, Great Lakes Retirement's shares in Amazon.com were valued at approximately $25,256,000.

Changes in Institutional Holdings

A number of other institutional investors have also adjusted their positions in Amazon.com. For instance, Accordant Advisory Group Inc. increased its stake by a remarkable 400% during the fourth quarter, now owning 125 shares valued at $27,000, following the purchase of an additional 100 shares.

Icon Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings by 20.5% in the third quarter, bringing its total to 150,661 shares worth $28,000 after acquiring an extra 25,581 shares. Additionally, Bull Oak Capital LLC made a new investment during the third quarter valued at $45,000. Quattro Financial Advisors LLC also increased its stake by 23.8% during the fourth quarter, resulting in 234 shares valued at $51,000 after buying another 45 shares. Lastly, Values First Advisors Inc. entered the fold in the previous quarter with a new investment worth $56,000. Overall, institutional investors possess around 72.20% of Amazon.com's total shares.

Insider Transactions

Recently, there have been notable insider transactions at Amazon.com. Vice President Shelley Reynolds sold 8,833 shares on February 21st, at an average price of $222.47, resulting in proceeds of approximately $1,965,077.51. Post-sale, Reynolds holds about 119,780 shares valued at around $26,647,456.60, marking a 6.87% reduction in her shareholding.

CEO Douglas J. Herrington also sold shares, offloading 27,500 shares on February 12th at an average price of $230.27, which brought in about $6,332,425.00. After this transaction, he owns 497,067 shares worth approximately $114,459,618.09, reflecting a 5.24% decrease in his holdings. In total, company insiders have sold 102,298 shares over the last quarter, valued at $22,871,828. Insiders maintain ownership of about 10.80% of the company's stock.

Analysts' Ratings

Amazon.com has caught the attention of several analysts, who have issued various ratings on the stock. The Telsey Advisory Group has reaffirmed an "outperform" rating with a price target of $275.00. Benchmark Research raised its target from $215.00 to $265.00, attaching a "buy" rating. Stifel Nicolaus also increased its target from $245.00 to $275.00 and rated the stock "buy". Meanwhile, Piper Sandler set their target price at $265.00, up from $225.00, maintaining an "overweight" rating. JMP Securities has placed a "market outperform" rating with a target of $285.00. In total, two analysts currently rate the stock as a hold, while forty-two have a buy rating, demonstrating strong optimism surrounding the stock's future prospects.

The consensus among analysts is that Amazon.com is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of approximately $260.65.

Amazon.com Stock Overview

As of the latest trading session, AMZN opened at $194.54. Amazon.com has a market capitalization of $2.06 trillion, a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 35.18, and a price-to-earnings growth (P/E/G) ratio of 1.50, alongside a beta of 1.19. The company's debt-to-equity ratio stands at 0.18. It has a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The stock's 50-day moving average is $223.57, while the 200-day moving average is $207.12, revealing some volatility in recent months. Amazon.com has experienced a one-year low of $151.61 and a one-year high of $242.52.

In its most recent earnings report, released on February 6th, Amazon.com reported earnings of $1.86 per share, surpassing analysts' expectations of $1.52 by $0.34. The company recorded a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 9.29%. Analysts forecast that Amazon.com will report 6.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc. is actively engaged in the online retail of consumer products, as well as providing advertising services and subscription offerings, both through its online and physical stores across North America and other international markets. The company operates through three primary segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Furthermore, Amazon is involved in the manufacturing and sale of electronic devices—such as the Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, Echo, Ring, Blink, and eero—and the development of various media content.

Amazon, Stocks, Investments