Amazon
This company is very possibly the best value for investors, after taking a harsh beating this year. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) engages in the retail sale of consumer products and subscriptions globally. It sells merchandise and content purchased for resale from third-party sellers through physical and online stores.
The company also manufactures and sells electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, Rings and Echo and other devices. It provides Kindle Direct Publishing, an online service that allows independent authors and publishers to make their books available in the Kindle Store, and it develops and produces media content.
Amazon also offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products on its websites, as well as its stores, and its programs allow authors, musicians, filmmakers, Twitch streamers, skill and app developers, and others to publish and sell content. Further, the company provides computing, storage, database, analytics, machine learning and other services, as well as fulfillment, advertising, publishing, and digital content subscriptions.
Its Amazon Prime membership program provides free shipping of various items, access to streaming movies and series, and other services.
Given the incredible logistical needs for Amazon, the company has incorporated AI hybrid applications across much of its overall business for years. From e-commerce algorithms for search to the very popular Alexa personal assistant and AWS advancements for customers that include advanced text analytics, automated code reviews and chatbots, AI has provided the company with a massive leg up.
The Goldman Sachs target price is $165, while Amazon.com stock has a consensus target of $133.64. Shares closed on Monday at $93.75.
IBM
This blue chip giant still offers investors an incredibly solid entry point. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is a leading provider of enterprise solutions, offering a broad portfolio of IT hardware, business and IT services and a full suite of software solutions. The company integrates its hardware products with its software and services offerings in order to provide high-value solutions.
IBM operates in five major segments: Cognitive Solutions, Global Business Services, Technology Services & Cloud Platforms, Systems, and Global Financing. The analysts have cited the company’s potential in the public cloud as a reason for their positive outlook going forward.
The company posted a strong fourth quarter, with the cloud and Red Hat (the software giant the firm bought in 2019) proving to be big. Red Hat’s open hybrid cloud technologies are now paired with the unmatched scale and depth of IBM’s innovation and industry expertise and sales leadership in more than 175 countries.
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