Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) received two fresh endorsements from Wall Street after BMO Capital and BNP Paribas Exane updated their outlooks. 

Notably, Amazon stock has experienced volatile performance in recent months with the equity rallying 2.5% year-to-date, trading at $225 as of press time. 

Regarding the outlook, Brian Pitz of BMO Capital reiterated an ‘Outperform’ rating with a $300 price target. Pitz based his update on BMO’s latest proprietary holiday survey of about 1,000 U.S. consumers, which pointed to softer demand. 

Only half of respondents expect to increase holiday spending, down sharply from 62% a year ago, while consumer confidence has dropped to its lowest level in three and a half years.

The survey also identified planned economic boycotts as a growing risk for retailers. Even so, Amazon remains the clear leader in e-commerce, with 94% of surveyed consumers planning to shop on the platform, a slight increase from last year. 

Additionally, Pitz noted that Amazon’s fast delivery network and broad product selection continue to give the company a competitive advantage despite muted holiday growth and broader economic uncertainty.

BNP Paribas initiates AMZN stock coverage 

Meanwhile, BNP Paribas Exane also strengthened its stance on the stock, initiating coverage on Amazon with an ‘Outperform’ rating and a $320 price target. The firm emphasized Amazon’s leadership across e-commerce and cloud computing, along with accelerating growth in its advertising segment. 

It also pointed to the company’s strong fundamentals, including 11.48% revenue growth over the past year and a $2.36 trillion market valuation. 

BNP Paribas Exane addressed concerns about underinvestment in artificial intelligence, arguing that Amazon’s ongoing infrastructure buildout and integration of AI models across AWS and its consumer ecosystem demonstrate a clear commitment to the technology.

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