AWS is back, and so is the capex.
Amazon grew revenue 12% to $201.9B last quarter, about 16% without the Prime Day shift, and AWS accelerated to 39%, its fastest in nearly five years. Operating margin hit a record 13.9%. But Q3 capex of $77B pushed trailing free cash flow to −$42B, and 2027 spending will rise again.
Price, last 12 months
Daily closes with the 50-day average. The stock ranged from about $196 to $287 over the past year; it closed at $243.79 before Q3 results and fell nearly 7% after hours.
Revenue and margins, by quarter
Revenue in US$ millions, with gross margin on the right axis. Q2 2026 GAAP EPS of $5.75 includes a $53.4B pre-tax gain on Anthropic; Prime Day moved from Q3 to Q2 in 2026. Q4 is the holiday peak. The last bar is guidance at the midpoint.
| Quarter | Ended | Revenue, US$M | YoY | Gross margin | Op. margin | EPS (GAAP) |
|---|
Watch list
What moves the thesis, sorted by direction.
AWS re-acceleration
AWS grew 39.3%, a sixth straight quarter of acceleration, with a 38.7% margin and a $578B backlog. Jassy projects growth above 40% in both 2027 and 2028.
Custom chips
The Trainium and Graviton chip business still grows at triple-digit rates, anchored by Anthropic; Amazon plans to sell Trainium to outside customers from late 2027.
Capex and free cash flow
Q3 capex of $77.3B was about $20B above estimates, and trailing free cash flow fell to −$42.4B from +$14.8B a year earlier. Jassy says 2027 spending will be meaningfully higher; long-term debt is $173B.
Retail and ads timing
Moving Prime Day into Q2 cut Q3 growth by about 4 points and ads grew only 12%. Management expects ad growth back in the high teens in Q4.
Paper gains
The Anthropic markup inflated Q2 GAAP EPS to $5.75; it is not cash and can reverse, so trailing P/E looks lower than underlying profit.
Calendar
Holiday quarter
Guide: sales $240–247B (+12–16%), operating income $28.5–33.5B, ads growth in the high teens.
AWS re:Invent
Annual AWS conference in Las Vegas; usually brings new Trainium and AI service launches.
Q4 results and 2027 capex
Date not yet announced; expected to quantify the 2027 capex increase.