Is Amazon a blue-chip company?
Amazon Joins 29 Other 'Blue Chip' Companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Feb. 24, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Amazon.com Inc. is joining the ranks of one of Wall Street's oldest and most exclusive stock indexes: The Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Amazon's entry will significantly increase the exposure of the blue-chip index in the e-commerce, consumer retail and technology space. Amazon's weight in the Dow will rank 17th out of the 30 stocks. Walmart's weight will drop to 26 from 17.
It's one of the most reliable long-term holds
One of the best reasons to invest in Amazon is its proven reliability under strain. An economic downturn in 2022 caused a marketwide sell-off, resulting in the Nasdaq Composite plunging 33% during the year.
Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL): Alphabet's non-search AI potential makes it a must-own blue chip for the long haul. American Express (AXP): It may be an old-time blue chip, but that doesn't mean it's not innovating.
Blue chip companies are stable, profitable companies that are seen as safe investments in their industries. The term "blue chip" comes from the game of poker, where blue chips are the highest-value pieces. A company must be well-known, well-established, and well-capitalized to be a blue chip.
| Stock (ticker) | Market Capitalization |
|---|---|
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | $378 billion |
| Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) | $377 billion |
| AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) | $320 billion |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | $256 billion |
Amazon Stock is Still Very Undervalued and Shorting OTM Puts Makes Sense Here. Amazon Inc. (AMZN) reported strong free cash flow FCF margins last quarter. That implies that AMZN stock could be worth between 18% and 58% more.
As impressive as that is, original investors in Amazon fare even better. If you had invested $1,000 during Amazon's IPO in May 1997, your investment would be worth $1,341,000 as of August 31, according to CNBC calculations. That's better than the so-called FAANG stocks, plus Ebay – which debuted in that same period.
Amazon's significantly lower P/S, alongside its potent position in tech, make its stock a screaming buy right now. The company is on a promising growth path you won't want to miss out on.
For fiscal 2024, two analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.04 to $4.10 per share. AMZN boasts an average earnings surprise of 51%. With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, AMZN should be on investors' short list.
Is Walmart blue-chip?
By investing in blue-chip stocks, investors can build a well-diversified portfolio. Here, we have identified three stocks from the Retail - Wholesale sector — Walmart Inc. WMT, The Home Depot, Inc. HD and Costco Wholesale Corporation COST.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is undoubtedly one of the best blue chip stocks to buy and hold according to hedge funds.
| Stock | Sector | Trailing 12-month dividend yield* |
|---|---|---|
| International Business Machines Corp. (ticker: IBM) | Technology | 3.6% |
| Abbott Laboratories (ABT) | Health care | 1.9% |
| Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (SWK) | Industrials | 3.5% |
| Atmos Energy Corp. (ATO) | Utilities | 2.7% |
As a small example, Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) has trended higher by 226% (capital gains) in the last five years. This has led to this list of blue-chip stocks under $20.
Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy: McDonald's (MCD)
The Golden Arches is as blue-chip as stocks come. The hamburger and restaurant chain has been a reliable performer for decades, trades at a reasonable 24 times future earnings estimates, and pays a quarterly dividend that yields a strong 2.40%.
Streaming pioneer Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) usually makes the list of the top blue-chip entertainment stocks. Through its transformative streaming service, the platform has disrupted the cable industry and then some.
Some of the best blue-chip stocks to own are those with a lot of employees. Home Depot (HD): Its latest acquisition will add more employees to its headcount. Target (TGT): It's grown its headcount by 22% over the past five years. Starbucks (SBUX): Innovation doesn't stop despite waning investor interest in its stock.
The problem is that despite being included in blue chip ETF indexes, companies like Nvidia and Tesla aren't truly blue chip stocks, George Pearkes, an analyst at Bespoke, told CNN. They're much more volatile.
| Company (Ticker) | Sector | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) | Technology | $1.91T |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) | Financial | $533.63B |
| Salesforce (CRM) | Technology | $262.26B |
| Caterpillar (CAT) | Industrials | $177.11B |
Amazon is also cash rich. The company has generated cash flow growth of 25.3%, and is expected to report cash flow expansion of 59.4% in 2024. Investors should take the time to consider AMZN for their portfolios due to its solid Zacks Rank rating, notable growth metrics, and impressive Growth and VGM Style Scores.
Is Amazon a strong buy or sell?
Amazon's analyst rating consensus is a Strong Buy. This is based on the ratings of 42 Wall Streets Analysts.
Analysts at Coin Price Forecast do offer a 2034 projection for Amazon stock, estimating a 10-year price increase of 276%, to $672 per share.
As a result, an investment of $10,000 a decade ago would be worth over $107,000 today. The company made many millionaires over the last decade, begging the question: Does it still have much to offer new investors? Let's examine Amazon's business more closely and determine whether it's still worth investing in in 2024.
Those gains translate to a 23.2% compound annual growth rate for Amazon compared to a 6.2% CAGR for the S&P 500 in that time. As a result, $10,000 in AMZN stock purchased 20 years ago would now be worth $645,262. A $10,000 investment in the S&P over the same period, however, would amount to $33,452.
So, if you had invested in Netflix ten years ago, you're likely feeling pretty good about your investment today. A $1000 investment made in March 2014 would be worth $9,728.72, or a gain of 872.87%, as of March 4, 2024, according to our calculations. This return excludes dividends but includes price appreciation.
