FX.co ★ Amazon stock returns to pre-pandemic levels

Amazon shares are down markedly from their all-time highs, falling 41%. The latest quarterly report showed a net loss of $3.8 billion.

Amazon (AMZN) was considered an 'untouchable' or 'easy' stock to invest in 2021. The sharpest of these declines came in April 2022, when the securities fell 34% after the company released a poor Q1 earnings report, which included a net loss that was below analysts' consensus forecasts.

Previously, Amazon shares had received notable support during the pandemic, as did the US technology sector as a whole. However, with its weakening and the news that the Fed is thinking about starting to raise interest rates amid a strong rise in inflation, the stock began to lose ground. The reason for this was a sell-off on the part of those investors who had bought the securities with borrowed funds. This was the case with all stocks that soared in value during the sharp phase of COVID-19.

However, let's get back to Amazon's problems. We will start with Rivian's loss. It is a one-off large expense that the company had to take on because accounting rules require that unrealised capital gains and losses be reflected in the final accounts. The good news is that they can offset this as a tax loss. Another problem is rising costs due to inflation and supply chain disruption, which may be temporary. However, it is difficult to say how everything will turn out. The next factor is that the slowdown in revenue growth may be a short-term trend due to inflation. This only indicates that Amazon has not kept up with the rate of increase in inflation.

To summarise, Amazon's dominance of the e-commerce network will remain unshaken for the time being. Their extensive network and market position gives them a strong competitive advantage. However, a lot will depend on the situation in the US economy and how quickly it can recover from its losses. Meanwhile, Amazon shares, having reached their real pre-pandemic price level, could receive strong support and, after a period of consolidation, start rising again, effectively becoming undervalued securities.