Amazon Shares Near Record High Ahead of Earnings

Amazon shares climbed to their highest closing level since November 2025, settling at 250.56 on Friday, just 1.4 points shy of the all-time record high of 254. The stock has risen 20 percent throughout April, posting gains in nine of the past 10 trading sessions, and is up 8.6 percent for the year so far.

The surge comes as investors anticipate Amazon's first-quarter earnings report, scheduled for April 29. Analysts project earnings per share of 1.63, a slight increase from the 1.59 reported in the year-ago period, along with total revenue of about 177 billion dollars, reflecting 14 percent year-over-year growth. Key drivers include robust performance in Amazon Web Services, the company's cloud computing division, where revenue is expected to expand 25 percent in the quarter, up from 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024.

This anticipated acceleration stems from expanding artificial intelligence initiatives, including collaborations with OpenAI and Anthropic. In the North American marketplace, revenue is forecasted to grow around 10 percent, with analysts viewing economic headwinds like higher fuel prices as temporary and manageable. Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy...