NEW YORK, Jan 30, 2026, 10:31 EST — Regular session
Amazon.com shares ticked up 0.5% to $242.94 in early trading Friday, following a Reuters report that the company is exploring an investment of up to $50 billion in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The stock fluctuated between $238.51 and $243.29 shortly after the open. (Reuters)
The possibility of such a huge deal comes at a sensitive time for Big Tech: investors crave growth from artificial intelligence but remain wary of costs. Amazon reports its quarterly earnings next week, with the market eager for evidence that cloud demand remains strong even as spending is kept in check.
A new partnership with OpenAI would clarify Amazon’s competitive aims and pace. For AWS, the wager is that AI workloads will continue attracting clients—without margins taking a hit from the infrastructure investments required to support them.
Cost-cutting is a key theme this week. Amazon’s Beth Galetti told employees the company is trimming “layers, boosting ownership, and cutting bureaucracy,” impacting roughly 16,000 jobs. (Amazon News)
Reuters reported that Amazon has wrapped up roughly 30,000 corporate job cuts since October, as part of a broader restructuring. The company is also shutting down its remaining Fresh grocery outlets and Go convenience stores. Additionally, Amazon plans to discontinue Amazon One, its biometric payment system that scans customers’ palms. (Reuters)
Friday’s trading wasn’t quiet. U.S. producer prices climbed 0.5% in December, a stronger-than-expected figure that could make interest rate decisions trickier — a big deal for growth stocks tied to future earnings. (Reuters)
The earnings backdrop is turning sharply binary. Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors, told Reuters in a preview of the week ahead, “For those companies where expectations have become very, very lofty, the onus is going to be on them to deliver.” (Reuters)
The risk is clear. OpenAI talks are still in the early stages and could fall apart. If the price hits the high end, it’s likely to reignite doubts about how long the AI investment spree will stay cash-hungry before profits become apparent.
Investors will be focused on AWS growth updates, any signals on customer demand for AI, and whether cost-cutting efforts begin to impact operating margins without hindering execution. How the company frames its investment priorities might carry as much weight as the actual quarterly results.
Amazon announced it will host a conference call on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 5:00 p.m. ET to review its fourth-quarter 2025 results. (Aboutamazon)
