Amazon AMZN Stock Rebounds, but $265 Resistance Is the Test for Investors

Amazon.com, Inc. shares are attempting to recover after weeks of selling pressure, but rising infrastructure costs, weakening cash flow, and broader technology sector caution continue clouding the outlook.

Amazon Faces Key Technical Test Despite Strong Cloud Momentum

Quick overview

  • Amazon.com, Inc. shares are attempting to recover from recent selling pressure, but face challenges from rising infrastructure costs and weakening cash flow.
  • Despite a modest rebound, Amazon's stock is encountering technical resistance around the $265 level, which is crucial for a sustained recovery.
  • The company's AWS division continues to drive revenue growth, reporting a 28% year-over-year increase, but concerns about profitability and high capital expenditures persist.
  • Investor sentiment remains cautious as Amazon's heavy spending on AI and cloud infrastructure raises questions about near-term profitability.

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Amazon.com, Inc. shares are attempting to recover after weeks of selling pressure, but rising infrastructure costs, weakening cash flow, and broader technology sector caution continue clouding the outlook.

Amazon Shares Attempt Rebound After Recent Weakness

Amazon.com, Inc. spent much of May under pressure as investors reduced exposure to large-cap technology companies ahead of key semiconductor earnings and amid growing concerns over valuation levels across the sector.

The stock recently slipped below the $260 level after extending its broader decline despite posting stronger-than-expected quarterly results. However, Wednesday brought a modest rebound as broader equity markets turned positive and buyers returned to major technology names.

Even with the recovery, Amazon now faces an important technical resistance zone around $265, a level that traders are closely watching to determine whether the recent rebound can develop into a more sustained recovery.

AWS Continues Driving Revenue Growth

Amazon’s first-quarter 2026 results once again highlighted the strength of its cloud business.

The company reported earnings per share of $2.78, beating analyst expectations, while Amazon Web Services delivered 28% year-over-year revenue growth — its fastest pace in 15 quarters.

AWS continues benefiting from strong enterprise demand for cloud computing and AI-related infrastructure services. Amazon’s chips division has also reportedly reached a $20 billion annual revenue run rate, reinforcing the company’s positioning within some of the fastest-growing areas of the technology sector.

These results helped support sentiment, although investors remain cautious about whether current growth rates can remain sustainable as global economic uncertainty and enterprise budget pressures persist.

Heavy Infrastructure Spending Raises Concerns

The biggest issue weighing on Amazon sentiment remains the scale of its spending plans.

Free cash flow over the trailing twelve months declined sharply to roughly $1.2 billion as property and equipment expenditures surged by approximately $59.3 billion year over year.

Amazon is pursuing an enormous capital expenditure strategy estimated near $200 billion, heavily focused on AI infrastructure, cloud expansion, and automation initiatives. While management views these investments as necessary to maintain long-term leadership, the pace of spending is increasingly raising questions about near-term profitability.

Reversing After the Surge

Amazon entered 2026 hoping to rebuild confidence after a volatile finish to the prior year, but the opening weeks  instead reinforced investor unease as AMZN fell below $200. But the 100 weekly SMA (green) held as support. Shares climbed for 6 consecutive weeks, pushing above the 50 weekly SMA (yellow) and gaining roughly 26% as sentiment improves and tech stocks rebound and on Monday AMZN popped again to $278 in early May before reversing lower to $255 on Tuesday.

AMZN Chart Weekly – Testing the 2025 HighChart AMZN, D1, 2026.05.20 19:44 UTC, MetaQuotes Ltd., MetaTrader 5, Demo

However we’re seeing a 2% jump on Wednesday but buyers are facing the 20 daily SMA (gray). If buyers fail to break above the 20 SMA, AMZN stock would reverse lower and slip below $250, then it might open the door for further declines.

Profitability and Valuation Remain Key Risks

Investor focus has gradually shifted away from revenue growth alone toward concerns surrounding margin durability and cash generation.

Although AWS remains one of the strongest assets in global technology, the aggressive investment cycle has created uncertainty about how quickly Amazon can convert infrastructure expansion into stronger long-term earnings growth.

Additional pressure also emerged after Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reportedly exited its Amazon position entirely, reinforcing cautious sentiment at a time when investors are becoming more selective toward high-spending technology companies.

For now, Amazon’s rebound remains constructive, but the stock’s ability to overcome technical resistance near $265 may depend on whether investors regain confidence that spending levels can eventually translate into sustainable profitability improvements.

Amazon Q1 Earnigs Report

Revenue and Profit Growth

  • Revenue rose 17% year over year to $181.5 billion, above estimates
  • Operating profit increased to $23.9 billion from $18.4 billion
  • Growth driven by strength across multiple business segments

AWS Momentum Leads Performance

  • AWS sales climbed 28% to $37.6 billion
  • Fastest growth since Q2 2022
  • AWS contributes majority of operating profit despite ~20% of revenue

Heavy AI-Driven Investment Surge

  • Capex reached $151 billion over 12 months (+$57.9 billion YoY)
  • 2026 spending plan raised to ~$200 billion (+56%)
  • Q1 capex jumped to $44.2 billion, above expectations

Cash Flow Pressure Intensifies

  • Free cash flow fell to $1.2 billion from $25.9 billion YoY
  • Expansion driven by data centres for AI-focused demand

Retail and Advertising Growth

  • Online sales up 12% to $64.3 billion
  • Advertising revenue rose 24% to $17.2 billion
  • Ads increasingly support retail profitability model   
ABOUT THE AUTHOR See More
Skerdian Meta
Lead Analyst
Skerdian Meta Lead Analyst. Skerdian is a professional Forex trader and a market analyst. He has been actively engaged in market analysis for the past 11 years. Before becoming our head analyst, Skerdian served as a trader and market analyst in Saxo Bank's local branch, Aksioner. Skerdian specialized in experimenting with developing models and hands-on trading. Skerdian has a masters degree in finance and investment.

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