Amazon share price history under Jeff Bezos

Amazon share price performance under Bezos

Throughout the career of Jeff Bezos, shares of Amazon have earned the second-best returns of all S&P 500 companies. For a 24-year period, AMZN shares have a return for 170,600%, compared to the average returns of 600%.

Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 and went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange three years later on May 14 1997. Shares of AMZN started trading at $18 per share but have since soared by 18,811% to trade at $3,404 per share as of June 28 2021. Three stock splits were carried out in the first two years of listing.

Over the years, Amazon shares have had their ups and downs. Here’s a brief timeline of Amazon’s share price history.

Amazon shares and the dot-com crisis

The early years of trading were challenging, due to the dot-com crash which saw AMZN stock lose 90% of its value in two years. Following the crisis, the company’s stock didn’t reach its pre-crash heights as investors continued to fear the lack of long-term profitability – up until 2001, Amazon hadn’t made any profit.

But Bezos was aggressive in his expansion plans following the bubble bursting. He was determined to expand the company’s offering by creating the likes of Amazon Prime, Amazon Web Services and the Kindle.

Amazon shares and the 2008 financial crisis

Following the 2008 financial crisis, quantitative easing programmes provided investors with capital to reinvest in the US stock market, and Amazon was a big recipient of these capital waves thanks to the growing retail offerings and uptick in its consumer base.

Ten years after the crash, in September 2018, Amazon became the second company ever to hit a valuation of $1 trillion – just two months behind Apple.

Amazon shares and the Covid-19 pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, while many other companies’ shares were hit by falling revenues, Amazon saw a huge surge in sales due to lockdown measures causing a rise in online shopping. Amazon saw increases across the board, especially in its grocery delivery service. Amazon stock hit its all-time high of $3,531.45 on September 02, 2020.

Why is Jeff Bezos stepping down as CEO?

Jeff Bezos is stepping down as Amazon’s CEO on July 5 2021 to focus on other projects, such as his trip to space and his charitable efforts. Andy Jassy – the company’s cloud-computing CEO – will be taking over.

Find out more about Andy Jassy.

What will happen to shares of AMZN after Bezos resigns?

According to Nasdaq estimated earnings reports – comprised of data taken from Zacks Investment Research based on 13 analysts’ forecasts – Amazon isn’t in for a rough time following the resignation of Bezos.¹

Fiscal Quarter End	*Consensus EPS Forecast**
Jun 2021	12.16
Sep 2021	12.81
Dec 2021	14.67
Mar 2022	16.42
Jun 2022	15.97

In fact, the consensus EPS forecast for the first quarter under Jassy is $12.81, which is higher than the $12.16 estimated for Bezos’ final quarter. This trajectory is expected to continue over the next few quarters.

This optimism comes after Amazon released Q1 2021 earnings that topped estimates. As a result of Covid-19, Amazon has had a massive increase in the number of firms that no longer want to run their own technology and have turned to Amazon Web Services. Its cloud computing revenue is now up 32% to $13.5 billion from the quarter previously.

How to trade Amazon shares

You can trade stocks with FOREX.com from 1 point. Follow these easy steps to start trading:

Open a FOREX.com account, or log in if you’re already a customer
Search for the company you want to trade in our award-winning platform
Choose your position and size, and your stop and limit levels
Place the trade

¹Nasdaq, 2021

StoneX Europe Ltd makes no representation or warranty and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, nor any loss arising from any investment based on a recommendation, forecast or other information supplied. You should always seek independent advice as to your suitability to speculate in any related markets and your ability to assume the associated risks, if you are at all unsure. We are not under any obligation to update any such material. Any opinion made may be personal to the author and may not reflect the opinion of StoneX Europe Ltd.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved by reading our full risk warning.

FOREX.com is a trading name of StoneX Europe Limited, and FOREX.com/ie is a domain operated by StoneX Europe Ltd, a member of StoneX Group Inc. StoneX Europe Ltd, is a Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) company registered to the Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver with a Registration Number HE409708, and authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 400/21. StoneX Europe is a Member of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) and has its registered address at Nikokreontos 2, 5th Floor, 1066 Nicosia, Cyprus.

StoneX Europe Limited is registered with the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). BaFin registration ID: 10160255

FOREX.com is a trademark of StoneX Europe Ltd, a member of StoneX Group Inc.

The statistical data and the awards received refer to the Global FOREX.com brand.

This website uses cookies to provide you with the very best experience and to know you better. By visiting our website with your browser set to allow cookies, you consent to our use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy.

Through passporting, StoneX Europe is allowed to provide its services and products on a cross-border basis to the following European Economic Area ("EEA") states: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

Additionally, StoneX Europe Ltd is allowed to provide Investment and Ancillary Services to the following non-EU jurisdiction: Switzerland.

StoneX Europe Ltd products, services and information are not intended for residents other than the ones stated above.

Tied Agent Information: KQ Markets Europe Ltd with Company No. HE427857.
Address: Athalassas 62, Mezzanine, Strovolos, Nicosia Cyprus.
Services Provided: Reception and Transmission of Orders.
Commencement Date: 06/12/2022
Website: KQ Markets - CFD Trading | KQ Markets

We may pay inducements, such as commissions or fees, to affiliates or third-party introducers for referring clients to us. This is in line with regulatory guidelines and fully disclosed where applicable.

StoneX Europe Ltd may make third party material available on this website which may contain information included but not limited to the conditions of financial markets. The material is for information purposes only and does not contain, and should not be construed as containing, investment advice and/or investment recommendation and/or an investment research and/or an offer of or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments; any decision to enter into a specific transaction shall be made by the client following an assessment by him/her of their situation. StoneX Europe Ltd makes no representation or warranty and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, nor any loss arising from any investment based on a recommendation, forecast or other information supplied. You should always seek independent advice as to your suitability to speculate in any related markets and your ability to assume the associated risks, if you are at all unsure. We are not under any obligation to update any such material. Any opinion made may be personal to the author and may not reflect the opinion of StoneX Europe Ltd.