How to Invest in Amazon
Amazon has been one of the most impressive high growth stocks. Is it right for your portfolio? Learn how to invest in Amazon, even with as little as $1.
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Amazon is one of the highest-priced stocks available on U.S. exchanges.
Founded in 1994, Amazon started as an online bookseller service. Now, it is a global powerhouse and a dominant player in various industries like e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and more.
If you're interested in buying Amazon stock, here's a step-by-step guide to help you start. We'll also talk about some factors to consider before investing in a company.
Is Amazon on the stock market?
Yes, Amazon had its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on May 15, 1997, priced at $18.[1] The stock is traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AMZN.
How to Buy Amazon Stock
You can buy Amazon stock using any brokerage or trading app. There are no special qualifications needed.
1. Create an Account with a Brokerage
Before you can start investing in Amazon, you will need to create an account with a brokerage firm or trading app. You can visit the brokerage's website or app and follow the instructions there to set up your account.
Typically, you'll need to provide:
- Your name
- Social Security number
- Address, phone number, and email
- Date of birth
You may also need to provide a copy of your driver's license or passport to verify your identification.
Don't have a ton of money to invest? Look for a brokerage that supports fractional shares. This means you can purchase just a tiny piece if you don't have enough money for a full share. This lets you to still invest in Amazon even if you only have $10.
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| Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | |
Robinhood | M1 Finance | Webull | |
|---|---|---|---|
Get a Free Stock (worth between $5 and $200) - | M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus - | Up to $100 Transfer Fee Reimbursement - | |
Benefits and Features | |||
| Stock Trading | |||
| Minimum Deposit | |||
| Fractional Shares | |||
| Good For | DIY investing with passive portfolio management | Experienced investors; Active traders | |
| Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | |
Robinhood: Pricing information from published websites as of 04/18/2020. M1 Finance: Pricing information from published website as of 02/28/2020 | |||
- Taxable: A general-purpose investment account
- Joint: An account shared between two individuals
- Retirement (includes Traditional and Roth IRA)
- 529 College Savings
- Custodial: An account set up for a minor
Keep reading for our top recommended brokers to buy Amazon stock.
M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus
Open a new M1 investment account. Deposit $10,000 or more into the account within 14 calendar days of account opening. Promotional credit will depend on the deposited value made into the account.
| Deposited Value | Promotional Credit |
|---|---|
| $10,000 - $29,999.99 | $75 |
| $30,000 - $49,999.99 | $150 |
| $50,000 - $99,999.99 | $250 |
| $100,000+ | $500 |
This offer is only for customers who have never registered for an M1 user account.
All Ages - Banking and Invest in One App
- Flexible controls, spending notifications, in-app chore list
- Age: No minimum age
- Fees: Starts at $4.99/month, per family (up to 5 kids). $9.98/month for Greenlight Max. $14.98 per month for Greenlight Infinity.
2. Fund Your Account
Once your account is created, you will need to fund it to start trading. Just link it to your bank account so you can transfer money. Depending on the brokerage, you may need to deposit a minimum amount to start trading.
Be sure to read through the terms and conditions of the platform carefully before making any investments.
Now, you can start investing in Amazon stock.
3. Search for Amazon (AMZN)
Once you've funded your account and are ready to buy, search for Amazon stock using their ticker symbol 'AMZN'.
The company should appear, along with Amazon's other relevant data, such as current stock price and daily average volume.
Click on the company listing for more detailed information, including news updates and analyst ratings. It's smart to research the company and consider any risks before investing.
4.Decide How Much You Want to Buy
The next step is deciding how much Amazon stock you want to buy. Most platforms will let you enter how many shares or the exact dollar amount you want to buy.
For example, if the investing app allows for fractional shares, you can say that you want to buy $50 worth of AMZN (instead of full shares).
After entering the details, you are now ready to place your order.
5. Place your order
Once you have entered all the information, review it one last time and click 'place order' to complete your purchase of Amazon stock. Your order will be processed in a few minutes, and you will receive a confirmation when it has gone through.
After that, you can view your holdings in your account portfolio and track their performance over time.
- Market order: Execute the transaction now at the current market price.
- Limit order: Set a specific price at which you wish to buy. This gives investors more control. But if the stock never hits your price, the trade will never be executed.
Best Brokerages to Invest in Amazon
Here are some of our top recommended brokerages to buy Amazon shares. All these brokerages have no trading commissions.
Deposit $100 and Get $10 from eToro USA LLC
- Sign up for an eToro account
- Deposit $100
$75 Account Transfer Bonus
- Transfer a brokerage account over to Webull and get $75 deposited into the account. The incoming brokerage account must have at least $2,000 or more in assets to receive this bonus.
- Transfer an IRA over to Webull and get $75 deposited into the account. The incoming IRA must have at least $5,00 or more in assets to receive this month.
Robinhood
Robinhood is one of the most popular investment apps for beginners. It has no minimum to get started. A big benefit is that it supports fractional shares, allowing you to invest in stocks with as little as just $1.
M1 Finance
M1 Finance is a unique hybrid DIY brokerage and robo-advisor. You choose your own stocks and build your own portfolio. Then M1 will automatically manage it for you at no cost. It also supports fractional shares. The minimum to start is $100.
Stash Invest
Stash Invest is designed for new investors who need a little handholding. It guides you to pick stocks aligned with your goals and risk tolerance, but you can also choose your own stocks. You can purchase fractional shares. There is a monthly fee starting at $3/mo.
Webull
Webull also has no trading fees or minimum investment. It offers better research tools and analytics for more experienced investors. It's also a good choice for active traders with free extended trading hours. Webull offers fractional shares for as little as $5.
Fidelity
Fidelity is a great choice if you're looking for a full-service brokerage with a wide variety of account types and other investment products. There is no account minimum. Fidelity also offers fractional shares from as little as $1.
Pros and Cons of Buying Amazon Stock
Pros:
- Constant yearly increase in revenue
- Leader in e-commerce, streaming, and cloud computing
- Constantly expanding services to consumers
Cons:
- Very expensive share price
- High prices mean volatile shares
- Facing increased regulatory scrutiny as it grows
Why Invest in Amazon?
Amazon has a proven track record of consistent and impressive revenue growth, with a recent 9.87% YoY increase. It's the top US brand and leading streaming platform, always innovating and expanding to attract customers and boost sales.
Furthermore, Amazon's focus on customer-centricity and its commitment to delivering a seamless and convenient shopping experience has helped build strong customer loyalty.
About 26 million customers ordered products with Same-Day Delivery in the first quarter of 2023, marking a 50% increase from the previous year.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Expansion
Amazon's success is largely due to its internet cloud infrastructure, AWS. It is its fastest-growing revenue source, with a recent 16% increase in its sales growth.
AWS continues to expand to reach more customers worldwide, with new regions opening in Malaysia and Australia. Also, S&P Global and Snowflake are partnering with AWS to offer secure cloud services and improve product integration. AWS's advanced cloud technology is proving to be beneficial for both companies.
Partnerships with S&P Global and Snowflake can boost AWS's customer base and enhance its position as a top cloud provider. These collaborations also inspire investor confidence, potentially leading to higher stock performance.
- Net Sale increased by 9% to $127.4 billion, or 11%, with foreign exchange rate adjustments
- Operating income increased to $4.8 billion from $3.7 billion last year
- Net income increased to $3.2 billion from a net loss of $3.8 billion in Q1 2022
- Earnings per share were $0.31, compared to a loss of $0.38 per share in Q1 2022
Amazon's business strategy can be a bit tricky. So here's additional information that may help you understand the company before you invest.
What is Amazon's valuation?
Amazon is valued at $1185.07 billion this Q1 2023, with a price-to-earnings ratio 140.85. This shows that Amazon is overvalued, and its stocks tend to be more volatile. But for Amazon, it also helps to check its sales growth. Here's why.
When evaluating Amazon's value, traditional methods like Market Capitalization and Price-to-Earnings Ratio are not enough for accurate analysis. Including sales growth in your analysis will give you a clearer picture of its overall corporate health.
When looking at how much money Amazon makes compared to its stock price, it often seems very expensive. This is because Amazon puts most of its profits back into growing the business instead of keeping them as profit. This helps Amazon grow faster and pay less in taxes.
To better understand, here are common ways investors measure a company's value, especially for Amazon.
- Market Capitalization (Market Value)
Market capitalization (Market value) is how we measure the size of a public company. We do this by multiplying the current stock price by the number of shares outstanding. - Price to Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio)
The P/E ratio shows if a company is undervalued or losing money. Low but positive means high earnings, while high negative means heavy losses. - Sales Growth Rate
Sales growth shows the change in revenue over a fixed period of time. Such as measuring the overall performance over two fiscal periods to determine whether there has been an increase or decrease in earnings.
- Companies with a P/E ratio above 30 or in the negative range are often labeled "growth stocks." This suggests that investors predict future growth or profitability.
- While positive P/E ratio below 10 are generally regarded as "value stocks," indicating that the company is already profitable and unlikely to see significant growth in the future.
Next, let's see how all this information fits your investment portfolio.
Is Amazon Stock Right for You?
Don't make the buy-or-not decision based on the stock's price alone. Instead, consider if Amazon is right for your goals and risk tolerance. This comes down to what kind of investor you are.
Are you looking for passive income through dividends? Despite being a blue chip stock, Amazon does not pay dividends. Is this something you want?
How much risk can you afford? Remember that stocks can be volatile, some sectors more so than others.
Amazon has done extremely well in the past years, but there are arguments that the FAANG bubble could burst (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google). It's best if you can commit to holding your investment for the long term to ride out any downturns.
If you have second thoughts about investing in Amazon, you may want to explore other options in the industry, like Walmart or Netflix.
Alternatives to Amazon Stock
Walmart and Netflix are some notable companies, along with Amazon, that lead the e-commerce and video streaming industry. These are also good alternative options to invest in.
- Walmart (NYSE:WMT)
Walmart is Amazon's competitor in the e-commerce or retail industry. It is a big retail chain with over 10,000 stores in 20 countries and eCommerce websites.[3] Walmart also owns Sam's Club, a big warehouse store. They focus on selling a mix of groceries and other stuff at really low prices. It is currently valued at $403.33 billion.Walmart's Q1 2023 Earnings Report: [4]- Market cap:$403.33 billion
- Revenue: $141.6 billion, a 2.4% increase
- Net sales: $23.8 billion, a decrease of $3.5 billion
Sign Up and Get $5
- Sign up, add at least $5 to your account and get a $5 bonus.
- Invest with fractional shares
- Get portfolio recommendations
eToro USA LLC and eToro USA Securities Inc.Deposit $100 and Get $10 from eToro USA LLC
For a limited time, you can get $10 when you deposit $100 in your eToro account. Here's how:- Sign up for an eToro account
- Deposit $100
- Market cap:$403.33 billion
- Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX)
Netflix is the second leading streaming platform, with Amazon Prime Video ranking 1st in the market. Netflix has gained immense popularity, with a vast customer base of over 200 million paid subscribers in more than 190 countries.[5] This global reach showcases the platform's ability to attract viewers worldwide.Furthermore, Netflix's stock has been a top performer in the S&P 500 index over the past ten years, consistently delivering impressive returns despite competition from other streaming services. As a result, many investors consider it an attractive investment opportunity.
You can learn more on how to invest with Netflix with our guide.M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus
Open a new M1 investment account. Deposit $10,000 or more into the account within 14 calendar days of account opening. Promotional credit will depend on the deposited value made into the account.
Deposited Value Promotional Credit $10,000 - $29,999.99 $75 $30,000 - $49,999.99 $150 $50,000 - $99,999.99 $250 $100,000+ $500 This offer is only for customers who have never registered for an M1 user account.
All Ages - Banking and Invest in One App
- Flexible controls, spending notifications, in-app chore list
- Age: No minimum age
- Fees: Starts at $4.99/month, per family (up to 5 kids). $9.98/month for Greenlight Max. $14.98 per month for Greenlight Infinity.
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
- Get up to $700 when you open and fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account with qualifying new money.
- $700 when you fund with $250,000 or more
- $325 when you fund with $100,000-$249,999
- $150 when you fund with $25,000-$99,999
- $50 when you fund with $5,000-$24,999
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- Our powerful tools and resources are built to help you take control of your investments.
INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE:
NOT A DEPOSIT •NOT FDIC INSURED •NO BANK GUARANTEE •MAY LOSE VALUE
Bottom Line
Before investing in any stock, it's smart to research the company to see if it's a good fit for your portfolio. After that, it's just a matter of finding the right brokerage for your needs.
Remember to review your investments to see how they're performing regularly and if you need to make any adjustments to your portfolio.
References
- ^ Amazon. Amazon.com, Inc. Announces Initial Public Offering of 3,000,000 Shares of Common Stock, Retrieved 5/21/2023
- ^ Amazon. Q1 2023 Update, Retrieved 05/19/2023
- ^ Walmart. Quick Facts, Retrieved on, 05/19/2023
- ^ Walmart. Walmart's Earning Reports, Retrieved 05/19/2023
- ^ Netflix Investor. Company Profile, Retrieved 5/21/2023
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