Amazon
Online retail, Prime, AWS cloud computing and advertising.
Public · NASDAQ:AMZN- Sector
- Internet
- Based in
- Seattle, United States
- Founded
- 1994
- Invested
- Mar 2023
Amazon runs an online store selling its own inventory alongside millions of third-party sellers, supported by its own delivery network. Prime membership bundles fast shipping with Prime Video, music and other perks.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the largest cloud computing provider and a major source of Amazon's profit. The company also sells advertising, makes Kindle, Echo and Ring devices, owns Whole Foods Market, and is building Project Kuiper, a satellite internet network.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookshop, and it went public in 1997. Andy Jassy, who built AWS, succeeded him as CEO in 2021.
As of 29 Sep 2026
Why I own it
AWS is the largest cloud, and most companies will build and run their AI there. Amazon also designs its own AI chips, which lowers its costs and its reliance on Nvidia.
Beyond the cloud, Amazon runs one of the biggest robotics operations in the world inside its warehouses, and it's building driverless taxis with Zoox and a satellite internet network. That's AI, robotics, autonomy and space in one company.
From the notebook
All notesOn the map
The Aussie dollar slipped under 70 US cents this week
The RBA's official rate fell from 0.6977 to 0.6933 US dollars between 30 September and 2 October. That matters for Australian holdings like AutoGrab and Flyweel, whose cloud bills from Amazon and Microsoft are priced in US dollars while their revenue sits in Aussie ones. A softer dollar also means the US-heavy public basket is worth more back home, even before any share price moves.
Since this note:Amazon +1.0%Microsoft +1.0%(S&P 500 +0.6%)
Theme
Shopify defaults to AI-agent checkout, Amazon keeps the gate shut
From 21 September, Shopify started enabling Shop Pay checkout for AI shopping agents by default across eligible US merchants, letting tools like Google's AI Mode buy without a manual integration. Amazon is going the other way: it has blocked OpenAI's shopping crawlers from indexing its listings and sued Perplexity's shopping agent over unauthorised purchases. Two of the biggest commerce platforms in the portfolio are now running opposite bets on how much buying power to hand to AI agents.
Since this note:Shopify +15.7%Amazon +1.8%(S&P 500 +0.3%)
AutoGrab
Flyweel
Microsoft
ShopifyWritten by AI from share prices, the companies' posts and the news. Can be wrong; not financial advice.
