Amazon (AMZN) Stock: What to Know Before the Market Opens on December 8, 2025

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) heads into Monday’s U.S. session trading just below $230, capping off a year in which the share price has moved far less than the underlying business.

Despite accelerating growth at Amazon Web Services (AWS), booming advertising sales and a string of bullish analyst upgrades, Amazon stock is only up roughly mid‑single digits in 2025, lagging both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100, which have posted double‑digit gains. ^[1]

Here’s a concise rundown of the latest news, forecasts and risks investors should have on their radar before the market opens on Monday, December 8, 2025.

1. Where Amazon Stock Stands After Friday’s Close

Last close (Friday, Dec. 5, 2025):
Amazon finished regular trading at $229.53, with after‑hours trading nudging the price slightly higher. ^[2]
52‑week range: Roughly $161.38–$258.60, keeping the current price closer to the middle of its one‑year range than the extremes. ^[3]
Valuation snapshot:
- Market cap ≈ $2.45 trillion
- P/E ratio ~32.4
- PEG ratio ~1.6 (growth‑adjusted valuation still reasonable vs. many AI peers)
- Beta ~1.37, meaning Amazon tends to move more than the overall market. ^[4]

MarketBeat and other data aggregators note that institutions control about 72% of Amazon’s shares, and insiders own close to 10%, underscoring how heavily professional investors are involved in the name. ^[5]

From a performance standpoint, multiple independent analyses estimate that Amazon is up only about 6–7% year‑to‑date, versus double‑digit gains for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100. ^[6] That relative underperformance is a big part of why analysts increasingly describe AMZN as a “sleeping giant.”

2. Fresh Flows: Hedge Funds Are Still Buying

Several new institutional ownership disclosures dated December 7, 2025 show continued professional demand for AMZN, even though these filings are backward‑looking (Q2 positions) rather than live trade data:

Symphony Financial Ltd. Co.
- Increased its Amazon stake by an eye‑catching 3,220% in Q2 to 642,545 shares, worth about $141 million at the time of filing. ^[7]
Rothschild Investment LLC
- Lifted its position by 3.0% to 111,002 shares (≈$24.35 million), making AMZN its 9th‑largest holding at about 1.5% of the portfolio. ^[8]
Y.D. More Investments Ltd
- Raised its stake 3.4% to just over 101,600 shares (≈$22.3 million), also representing about 1.5% of that firm’s portfolio. ^[9]

Across these reports, MarketBeat calculates that institutional investors collectively own roughly 72.2% of Amazon’s float, reinforcing the stock’s status as a core holding in large‑cap portfolios. ^[10]

On the other side of the ledger, insiders have been net sellers, unloading around 82,000 shares (≈$19 million) in the last three months. Recent disclosures highlight sales by AWS CEO Matthew Garman, retail CEO Douglas Herrington, and board member Keith Alexander—mostly routine portfolio moves at prices in the low‑to‑mid $220s. ^[11]

Takeaway before Monday:

Professional money is still adding to Amazon on weakness.
Insider sales exist but appear incremental, not a wholesale exit.

3. AWS and AI: The Core of the Bull Case

Q3 2025: AWS Re‑accelerates

Amazon’s Q3 FY 2025 results were a turning point for sentiment:

Revenue: About $180.2 billion, up 13% year‑on‑year and ahead of Wall Street forecasts around $177.8 billion.
Operating income: Roughly $17.4 billion, with underlying profit higher if you strip out about $4.3 billion in special charges.
Net income: Approximately $21.2 billion, up 38% YoY, with diluted EPS of $1.95, also beating estimates. ^[12]

Most important for the stock:

AWS revenue grew ~20% YoY to $33 billion, a clear re‑acceleration after a slower 2023–2024 period. ^[13]
AWS now represents around 60% of Amazon’s total operating income, making it the company’s profit engine. ^[14]
Management disclosed an AWS backlog of ~$200 billion and said unannounced October deals exceeded the total value of Q3 bookings, suggesting momentum is still building. ^[15]

Q4 guidance from Amazon calls for:

Net sales between $206–213 billion (10–13% growth vs. Q4 2024).
Operating income between $21–26 billion, roughly in line with last year despite a surge in capital expenditure. ^[16]

Re:Invent 2025: New Partnerships and AI “Factories”

At the AWS re:Invent 2025 conference, Amazon announced a string of high‑profile partnerships:

CrowdStrike is rolling out an upgraded security analytics tool in AWS Marketplace with automated deployment and pay‑as‑you‑go pricing.
BlackRock is expanding its Aladdin platform on AWS, making it easier for institutional clients to run core investment systems in the cloud.
S&P Global is integrating its Model Context Protocol with Amazon’s AI agents to let customers query financial and energy data directly through AWS tools.
Trane Technologies will help Amazon improve energy efficiency by around 15% across more than 30 Amazon Grocery fulfillment centers.
Visa is bringing its Intelligent Commerce platform to AWS, enabling AI agents that can actually execute secure purchases. ^[17]

Analysts covering the event highlight:

AWS revenue growth of 20.2% YoY in Q3, up from ~17.5% the prior quarter. ^[18]
A plan to double AWS capacity again by 2027, after already doubling it since 2022. ^[19]
Management’s willingness to keep capital expenditures near $125 billion in 2025 and even higher in 2026, largely to fund AI infrastructure. ^[20]

Long‑Range AWS Forecasts

A recent TipRanks roundup of top‑rated analysts underscores how central AWS is to Wall Street’s long‑term view:

TD Cowen expects AWS revenue to rise 19.1% to about $128 billion in 2025, then grow roughly 23% annually through 2027.
That would push AWS revenue to around $348.5 billion by 2030, with operating income growing at a similar ~21% CAGR.
Goldman Sachs and KeyBanc both reaffirmed Buy ratings, seeing AWS capable of sustaining “20%+” growth for several years. ^[21]

Pre‑market implication:
Going into Monday, the dominant narrative remains that AWS + AI = Amazon’s growth engine. The trade‑off is clear: heavier near‑term capex and lower free cash flow today in exchange for potential compounding cloud profits later in the decade.

4. Regulatory and Policy Overhangs You Can’t Ignore

4.1. FTC’s $2.5 Billion Settlement Over Prime “Dark Patterns”

A December legal analysis highlights the Federal Trade Commission’s $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon over alleged “subscription traps” in the Prime program:

The deal includes a $1 billion civil penalty plus $1.5 billion in consumer refunds.
More importantly, it imposes strict design obligations on how Amazon presents Prime enrollment and cancellation—requiring clear “decline” options, prominent pricing disclosures and a streamlined cancel flow. ^[22]

For investors, the key takeaway isn’t just the money. The order signals that U.S. regulators are increasingly willing to dictate interface and product design, blurring the line between UX decisions and antitrust or consumer‑protection law.

That’s especially relevant since the FTC’s separate monopolization case against Amazon’s marketplace practices is still working its way through the courts. ^[23]

4.2. EU Probes AWS Under the Digital Markets Act

On November 18, 2025, the European Commission opened three formal investigations into the cloud businesses of Amazon and Microsoft under the Digital Markets Act (DMA):

Two probes focus on whether AWS and Azure should be classified as “gatekeepers” for their cloud services.
A third looks at whether the DMA can adequately address potentially anticompetitive practices in cloud computing. ^[24]
If AWS is formally designated a gatekeeper, it could face obligations to interoperate more with rivals and avoid self‑preferencing, with fines of up to 10% of global annual revenue for violations. ^[25]

The EU aims to conclude these investigations within 12 months, so this is more a medium‑term regulatory risk than a Monday catalyst—but it’s part of the risk premium baked into Amazon’s valuation.

4.3. Safety Recalls on Products Sold via Amazon

On December 7, a Fox Business report detailed several Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls involving products sold on Amazon’s marketplace, including:

INIU 10,000mAh portable power banks linked to overheating and fire incidents.
HydroJug children’s tumblers with handles that can detach and pose a choking hazard.
Crayola‑branded magnetic pip‑Cube sets with loose magnets that can cause serious injury or death if swallowed. ^[26]

These recalls primarily affect third‑party sellers rather than Amazon’s own brands, but they underscore ongoing scrutiny of marketplace safety and quality control, another area where regulators may push platforms to take more responsibility.

5. Logistics Shake‑Up: USPS Talks and Amazon’s Delivery Ambitions

Two linked stories to watch this week revolve around Amazon’s delivery network:

Washington Post exclusive:
- Amazon has been the U.S. Postal Service’s largest customer, contributing more than $6 billion in annual revenue—about 7.5% of USPS revenue in 2025.
- Negotiations over a new long‑term contract have stalled. USPS is reportedly planning a reverse auction for access to its facilities, forcing Amazon to compete with other shippers.
- In response, Amazon is preparing contingency plans to pull billions of packages from USPS by the end of 2026 and expand its own last‑mile network if no deal is reached. ^[27]
Market reaction (Reuters):
- On December 4, U.S. indices ended roughly flat, and Amazon shares fell about 1.4%, becoming one of the biggest drags on the S&P 500 after the company acknowledged ongoing USPS discussions and the possibility of restructuring that relationship. ^[28]

Why it matters for the stock:

Short term, the prospect of losing an efficient partner like USPS introduces margin uncertainty and adds another reason for traders to be cautious.
Long term, a larger in‑house delivery network could strengthen Amazon’s moat—but only if the company can manage the capital intensity and labor issues that come with effectively becoming a national carrier.

Heading into Monday, any new headlines on USPS negotiations could move the stock intraday.

6. Analyst Ratings and Price Targets Going Into December 8

Despite the overhangs, Wall Street remains overwhelmingly bullish on Amazon.

Consensus View

StockAnalysis reports that 46 analysts rate AMZN a “Strong Buy”, with an average 12‑month price target of $283.85, implying about 24% upside from Friday’s close. Targets range from $195 on the low end to $340 at the high end. ^[29]
A recent TipRanks digest finds 43 Buy ratings vs. just one Hold, with an average target around $295.6—roughly 29% upside from current levels. ^[30]
24/7 Wall St. notes a median Wall Street target near $295, with the high end at $340, and still describes the consensus stance as “Strong Buy.” ^[31]

Recent Target Hikes

In the last week alone:

Wedbush reaffirmed a Buy rating and raised its target to $340.
Rosenblatt maintained a Strong Buy with a $305 target.
Citizens, TD Cowen, BofA, Wells Fargo and others have targets between $292 and $303. ^[32]

MarketBeat’s broader tally shows an average target of about $295.9, with more than 60 analysts covering the name and only a handful rating it less than a Buy. ^[33]

Long‑Term Scenarios

A separate 24/7 Wall St. piece published December 5 lays out bullish, bearish and baseline scenarios for Amazon’s share price by 2030, stressing:

AWS and AI infrastructure,
advertising growth, and
Amazon’s logistics network

as the main levers that could determine whether AMZN stays merely a market leader or becomes one of the decade’s standout compounders. ^[34]

What this means before Monday:
Going into the December 8 open, the Street’s base case is that Amazon stock offers 20–30% upside over the next year, with the lion’s share of that thesis resting on AWS’s ability to maintain high‑teens to low‑20s growth while monetizing AI workloads.

7. Technical Picture: Sideways in 2025, Coiled for a Move

Technicians highlight a few key levels to watch early this week:

Around $240 has been a major resistance level for AMZN. MarketBeat’s chart work describes a potential “triple top” pattern if the stock continues failing to break above that zone. ^[35]
Support appears to cluster in the $210–$220 area, where buyers repeatedly stepped in during 2025 pullbacks. ^[36]
With the stock now around $230 and the broader market near highs, some analysts argue Amazon’s flat 2025 performance represents consolidation rather than deterioration, potentially setting up a catch‑up move if risk appetite stays strong into 2026. ^[37]

For short‑term traders watching Monday’s open:

A sustained break above $240 would be seen as a bullish confirmation that the consolidation phase is ending.
Failure again near that level, especially if paired with weak macro data or hawkish Fed commentary, could invite another retest of the low‑$220s.

8. Key Numbers to Keep in Mind on December 8

Here’s a compact checklist of the fundamental metrics driving Amazon’s story as trading resumes:

Q3 2025 revenue: ≈ $180.2B, +13% YoY. ^[38]
Q3 EPS:$1.95, up 36% YoY and ahead of consensus. ^[39]
AWS revenue: ≈ $33B, +20% YoY, with a $200B backlog. ^[40]
Ads revenue: ≈ $17.7B in Q3, +22% YoY, powered by improved ad tech and more streaming inventory. ^[41]
2025 full‑year analyst forecast:
- Revenue around $729 billion, up about 14% from 2024.
- EPS around $7.28, up roughly 32% year‑on‑year.
- 2026 forecasts call for further double‑digit growth in both metrics. ^[42]

These numbers frame why, even after a relatively muted share‑price performance in 2025, many analysts still see Amazon as a compounder rather than a mature, ex‑growth mega‑cap.

9. What to Watch as the Market Opens Monday

Going into the December 8, 2025 open, here are the main storylines traders and long‑term investors are likely to focus on:

Macro and rates
- Any new data that shifts expectations around the anticipated Fed rate cut could move high‑multiple growth names like Amazon disproportionately.
Follow‑up on USPS negotiations
- Additional reporting around Amazon’s delivery plans or USPS policy changes could fuel volatility, given the potential impact on logistics costs and capex. ^[43]
Regulatory updates
- Comments from U.S. regulators on the Prime settlement or progress updates from the EU’s DMA cloud investigations could affect sentiment around Big Tech platform risk. ^[44]
AWS and AI deal flow
- Any fresh announcements building on re:Invent—new AI partnerships, larger cloud contracts, or updated capacity numbers—would reinforce the core AWS thesis. ^[45]
Positioning into year‑end
- With many funds behind their benchmarks, a late‑year chase into mega‑cap tech could benefit underperformers like Amazon; alternatively, profit‑taking in Big Tech could keep AMZN capped below resistance.

10. Bottom Line (and a Quick Reminder)

Heading into Monday, Amazon sits at the crossroads of powerful but conflicting forces:

Tailwinds:
- A re‑accelerating AWS business tied tightly to the AI cycle.
- Strong ad growth and improving retail efficiency.
- A near‑unanimous Strong Buy consensus with 20–30% upside priced into 12‑month targets.
Headwinds:
- Heavy AI infrastructure spending pressuring free cash flow.
- Regulatory risk from the FTC, EU DMA and broader Big Tech crackdowns.
- Delivery‑network uncertainty as USPS talks stall and Amazon considers expanding its own last‑mile footprint.
- A still‑unresolved technical ceiling around $240.

For investors and traders watching the open on December 8, 2025, Amazon remains one of the market’s most closely watched “margin of safety in growth” stories: a giant that has spent 2025 consolidating while the underlying businesses—especially AWS and advertising—continue to grow at double‑digit rates.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or trading advice. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial adviser before making investment decisions.