Amazon Stock Before the Bell (Nov. 17, 2025): 10 Things Investors Need to Know

Ticker: AMZN | Date: Monday, November 17, 2025

Key takeaways

Last close: Amazon finished Friday, Nov. 14 at $234.69 after a choppy week for mega‑caps.
Major partnership:OpenAI and AWS announced a multi‑year strategic partnership that could total up to $38 billion in cloud spending—potentially a meaningful demand tailwind for AWS capacity. ^[1]
Spending ramp: CFO Brian Olsavsky says 2025 capex is about $125 billion (and rising in 2026) as Amazon accelerates AI data‑center build‑out. ^[2]
Regulatory overhang: The FTC’s $2.5B settlement is in place; automatic refunds are being distributed Nov. 12–Dec. 24. ^[3]
Street setup: After Q3, several firms raised price targets (e.g., Evercore ISI $335, Rosenblatt $305, Wedbush $340). ^[4]
Positioning: 13F filings show some hedge funds trimmed “Magnificent Seven” stakes, including Amazon, in Q3. ^[5]

1) Where AMZN stands heading into Monday

Amazon shares closed Friday at $234.69, leaving the stock sensitive to any overnight headlines on AI infrastructure, holiday demand, or macro data. There was no pre‑market print available as of Sunday evening. Keep in mind that this week is heavy on retail and AI narratives across the market.

2) OpenAI x AWS: a new AI demand catalyst

In one of the season’s most consequential headlines, OpenAI named AWS a key cloud partner in a multi‑year deal that could reach $38B, with OpenAI tapping AWS infrastructure and services as it scales. For Amazon, the implication is straightforward: more high‑quality, AI‑centric workloads flowing to AWS heading into 2026. ^[6]

3) The spending story: capex at an all‑time high

Management is leaning in. Capex for 2025 is about $125B, with even higher outlays expected in 2026, largely aimed at AI‑ready data centers (compute, networking, power) and supporting infrastructure for Stores and Logistics. It’s a cash‑intensive path that can pressure free cash flow near‑term, but it reinforces AWS’s capacity and moat if demand materializes. ^[7]

4) The scorecard after Q3: AWS re‑accelerates, ads scale

Q3 revenue: $180.2B, up ~13% y/y.
Operating income: $17.4B (including special charges; excl. charges: $21.7B).
AWS: operating income $11.4B; growth re‑accelerated as AI workloads scale.
Net income: $21.2B (boosted by non‑operating gains tied to investments).
Management also highlighted the advertising flywheel: Prime Video with ads now reaches ~315M monthly viewers in 16 countries, broadening Amazon’s ad addressability. ^[8]

5) Regulatory and legal backdrop to watch

FTC settlement: The $2.5B order addressing Prime sign‑ups/cancellations is in effect, and automatic refunds run Nov. 12–Dec. 24, 2025, with a claims process to follow for those not automatically paid. Monitor for any incremental disclosures on take‑rates or compliance costs. ^[9]
EU/DSA/DMA activity: Amazon continues to operate under EU “gatekeeper” rules; Brussels’ DMA/DSA enforcement cadence has intensified across Big Tech in 2025 (a general sector risk to watch for marketplace ranking, ad targeting, and data‑sharing rules). ^[10]

6) Workforce & cost structure: what’s already in the numbers

Reuters reported Amazon planned up to 30,000 corporate job cuts in late October, part of ongoing streamlining and AI‑driven productivity efforts. Q3 results already included ~$1.8B in severance estimates primarily related to planned role eliminations—context that matters as investors parse operating leverage into the holiday quarter. ^[11]

7) How the Street is positioned

Post‑earnings, sell‑side targets ratcheted higher:

Evercore ISI to $335 (Outperform), citing AWS re‑acceleration and durable margin power. ^[12]
Rosenblatt to $305 (Buy) after seeing the kind of AWS acceleration investors wanted. ^[13]
Wedbush reaffirmed Outperform and lifted its target to $340. ^[14]

At the same time, Q3 13F filings show hedge funds trimming big‑tech exposure, including Bridgewater (-9.6% AMZN position) and Balyasny (-41% AMZN)—a reminder that positioning is mixed even as fundamentals improve. ^[15]

8) Holiday lens: retail read‑throughs this week

The National Retail Federation expects U.S. holiday sales to top $1T for the first time (Nov–Dec), albeit with slower growth than last year. This week brings bellwether retailer prints—Home Depot, Target, Walmart—that can color investor expectations for Amazon’s seasonal cadence. ^[16]

9) Macro calendar items investors may care about

Monday’s Empire State Manufacturing and other data later in the week (flash PMIs, housing, confidence) could sway risk appetite and rate expectations into Black Friday/Cyber Monday. In a year marked by shifting policy and a recent U.S. government shutdown, macro surprise remains a swing factor for high‑multiple tech. ^[17]

10) Risks and wild cards near term

AI supply chain / power constraints: Securing advanced chips and power for data centers remains a sector‑wide friction point even as capex surges. Amazon’s $125B plan mitigates, but timing and ROI are under scrutiny. ^[18]
Policy/Geopolitics: New legislative pushes to restrict AI chip exports to China (backed by major U.S. cloud providers) could affect industry dynamics and procurement cycles. ^[19]
Labor & compliance: Ongoing labor litigation and organizing efforts, plus evolving EU platform rules, can incrementally affect operations and costs. ^[20]

Bottom line for Monday, Nov. 17

Set‑up feels constructive but selective. The OpenAI–AWS partnership and capex clarity reinforce the AI‑led AWS re‑acceleration that bulls wanted to see, even as regulatory and spending headlines keep a lid on complacency. With holiday read‑throughs from other retailers on deck and macro data in focus, news flow—not technicals—likely dictates the open. Heading into the bell, the core debate remains: can AWS + Ads compounding offset the near‑term capex/free‑cash‑flow drag and regulatory friction? Today’s tape will test that narrative.

Data and news referenced are current as of Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 (U.S.). This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. ^[21]

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