How to Buy Amazon (AMZN) Shares in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide

2026.05.15 2026.05.15
How to Buy Amazon (AMZN) Stocks

Oleg Tkachenkohttps://www.litefinance.org/blog/authors/oleg-tkachenko/

Amazon was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos. At the time, the platform occupied a narrow niche: it was an online bookstore focused primarily on the United States. In the mid-1990s, the internet was still in its early stages, positioning Amazon among the pioneers of online retail and giving it a strong early competitive advantage.

Today, the company accounts for over 40% of the US e-commerce market and maintains a leading position in Europe and Asia. It has also expanded into cloud computing, artificial intelligence, consumer electronics, and film and television production for streaming platforms. This review provides more details on how to buy AMZN shares and their prospects.

Amazon Company History and Overview

Amazon is one of the largest online retailers specializing in consumer goods. In 1994, it became the first company in its segment. Today, Amazon strives to maintain its leadership by investing in cutting-edge technologies such as electric vehicles, cloud services, and robotics.

For example, Amazon is developing Prime Air MK30 drone delivery with a flight range of up to 12 km and a payload capacity of 2.3 kg in the US, the UK, and Italy. The AWS division is actively developing generative AI and designing Trainium2 chips.

Amazon has several key divisions:

• Acom develops and implements new manufacturing technologies.

• Brilliance Audio specializes in producing audiobooks.

• Amazon Web Services LLC provides global cloud computing services.

• Alexa Internet develops and manages web analytics services.

• Amazon Robotics focuses on robotics and automation systems.

Amazon’s main competitors are Walmart, Alibaba, eBay, Shopify, JD.com, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud (for AWS), Temu, and Target.

Why Invest in Amazon Stocks

Amazon ranks among the top 10 largest e-commerce platforms globally. Its growth drivers include expansion into adjacent industries, successful product and service development, new product launches, and strategic partnerships. AMZN shares are often considered blue-chip assets due to their long-term upward trend. However, the company does not pay dividends, which may influence investor returns.

Given intense competition from both retail and technology companies, AMZN’s volatility could increase significantly. As a result, it may be prudent to diversify risk by including shares of tech giants, energy companies, aerospace manufacturers, and biotechnology firms in an investment portfolio.

How Much Do Amazon Stocks Cost?

Amazon’s stock price today, 17.05.2026, is $264.05.

In mid-2017, the price of AMZN shares was barely reaching $50. Following a 20-for-1 stock split in June 2022, the price was adjusted from $2,447 to $122.35 to reflect the new number of shares. Subsequently, the stock traded in a long-term uptrend, periodically reaching new all-time highs.

Amazon’s Financial Results for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025)

Based on fiscal year 2025 results, Amazon delivered solid growth across its key financial metrics. Net sales reached $716.9 billion, up 12.4% year over year, while operating income rose to $80 billion from $68.6 billion a year earlier.

Amazon Web Services continued to show particularly strong momentum, with annual sales increasing 20% to $128.7 billion. In the fourth quarter of 2025, AWS’s annualized run rate reached $142 billion, highlighting sustained demand for the company’s cloud services.

Where and How to Buy Amazon Stocks?

Here are the possible options:

1. Purchase directly from the seller through a contract of sale. Shares are acquired through a private sale agreement with shareholders, investment funds, or other OTC market participants. Such transactions usually involve large share blocks, and the parties may be located in different parts of the world. In practice, this option is rarely accessible to private investors.

2. Purchase through a stockbroker. After completing verification, investors can buy any number of shares, including fractional shares, through a trading platform. The broker may also be a bank. Ownership is confirmed through an entry in the shareholder register and the display of securities in the investor’s account.

3. Buying CFDs on shares from a Forex broker. After verification, CFDs can be purchased in just a few clicks, with the position reflected directly in the trader’s personal account balance.

Other indirect investment options include buying shares of ETFs that hold AMZN, investing in mutual funds, or other diversified products with exposure to Amazon shares.

How Can an Individual Buy Amazon Stocks?

The best option for an individual among those listed above is to buy stocks through a broker. For long-term investing, a stockbroker is typically more suitable, while intraday traders may prefer a Forex broker. The main advantage of the latter is lower trading costs, as investors usually pay only the spread, which includes the broker’s markup. In addition, this approach allows traders to potentially profit from both rising and falling markets.

How to Trade Amazon Stock CFDs

Trading algorithm for beginner traders:

1. Choose a broker. Pay attention to commissions, trading conditions, and whether AMZN is available for trading.

2. Open a brokerage account. Register and complete the verification process — it is usually free and takes little time.

3. Fund your account using any convenient payment method.

Please note: on the LiteFinance web platform, you can try trading on a demo account without registration:

• Open the LiteFinance web platform.

• Open the Trade tab in the sidebar, open the NASDAQ Shares section, and find AMZN below.

• Choose a time frame that matches your investment horizon. Use technical indicators and fundamental analysis to assess potential price movements. Tip: The Market Sentiment indicator can serve as a useful reference point. For example, in the screenshot above, 71.5% of trades are positioned in favor of an upward trend.

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• In the order management window on the right, enter the trade size in lots, set a take-profit level, and limit potential losses using a stop-loss order. Open a long or short position; you can also place a pending order.

The open position will appear in the lower section below the price chart. You can close it at any time.

Amazon Trading Hours

Trading in AMZN on exchange and over-the-counter markets takes place from 4:35 PM to 11:00 PM (LiteFinance terminal time), Monday through Friday. Trading is not available on weekends when global exchanges are closed. More details about the AMZN contract specifications can be found in the Info on the Instrument section.

Amazon Stock Technical Information

Amazon Futures/Option Trading

The difference between exchange and over-the-counter (OTC) markets lies in the type of instruments traded. On exchanges, investors can buy actual AMZN shares, which are recorded in the shareholder registry in the owner’s name. However, trading often involves derivatives such as stock futures, which do not require immediate ownership or physical handling. In the OTC Forex market, trading is typically conducted via CFDs (contracts for difference). In this case, you do not own the underlying shares, but instead speculate on the price difference between opening and closing positions.

Exchange trading is generally considered more reliable but comes with higher costs due to exchange, depository, and registrar fees. CFD trading is simpler and, due to lower transaction costs, is often more suitable for retail traders with capital under $10,000.

Amazon Dividends

Amazon does not pay dividends because it reinvests all profits in expanding its core business segments. At present, there are no indications that the company’s dividend policy will change in the near future.

Main Shareholders of Amazon

Amazon’s shares are held by both institutional and individual investors. Approximately 60–65% of the shares are held by institutional investors. 33–34% are held by public companies and individuals.

The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, remains the largest individual shareholder with a stake of about 9%. Among institutional investors, Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street lead the pack, each holding significant stakes.

Largest shareholders:

• Jeff Bezos — approximately 8–9%;

• Vanguard Group — approximately 6–7%;

• BlackRock — approximately 5–6%;

• State Street Corporation — approximately 3–4%.

What Amazon Quotes Depend On

Factors affecting Amazon quotes:

• General market conditions. Forecast of growth/decline of the world economy, overbought/undervalued stock assets.

• Macroeconomic statistics and policies of the country’s leadership. For example, statistics on demand for e-commerce products, interest rate changes, etc.

• Mergers, acquisitions, plans for new developments, and co-investment by Amazon and partners in innovative projects. The success of co-investment projects.

• Financial performance. Revenue, net profit, operating profit/loss, P/E, EV/EBITDA, ROE multiples.

• Competition and the success of competitors.

• Internal development policy. And the general news background around the corporation: involvement in promising projects, charity, and scandals.

• Lawsuits.

Investment Prospects in Amazon

Amazon remains one of the leading technology companies, with its AI initiatives increasingly acting as a key growth driver. Its cloud division, AWS, holds a dominant market position with an estimated 28–31% share, ahead of Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. At the same time, competition in the AI sector continues to intensify each year.

The company is also actively investing in new growth areas. Amazon is the largest shareholder in Rivian Automotive, holding roughly 16% of its shares, supporting the deployment of electric delivery vans across its logistics network. The company aims to expand its electric fleet to 100,000 vehicles by 2030. In addition, Amazon is investing in autonomous transportation through Zoox, which launched commercial robotaxi operations in 2026 and competes with players such as Waymo and Tesla.

In 2026, Amazon was included in TIME magazine’s list of the most influential companies in the field of AI. Overall, the company’s outlook is closely tied to the growth of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and logistics, making its stock attractive to long-term investors.

What’s Important to Know Before Buying Amazon Stocks

Let’s take a look at what you should consider before buying AMZN.

1. Your investment strategy. What are you interested in: intraday trading strategy on both side movements or long-term trading?

2. Your broker. Stockbroker or Forex broker? What are your broker’s trading conditions? How and when do you plan to withdraw your money?

3. Current market situation. What factors are affecting Amazon’s stock price? Does it make sense to invest now or wait it out? What are your earnings goals?

4. Actions to take in case of force majeure. What to do if something goes wrong? Get rid of the asset or wait it out?

Before buying stocks, you should set a goal, develop a step-by-step plan, and create a risk management strategy.

Pros and Cons of Buying Amazon Stocks

The advantages of short-term trading and long-term investing in Amazon stocks:

• Relatively easy to predict the direction of movement. The driver is mostly the entire stock market. If it reacts positively or negatively to fundamentals, Amazon’s stock is very likely to follow the same direction.

• Moderate volatility. Stock volatility averages up to 1% per day.

• No upper boundary to price movement. Over the long term, Amazon’s stock is going up, while currency pairs have a price range; stocks have no upper limit on returns.

Disadvantages of short-term trading and long-term investing in Amazon stocks:

• Bubble risk. Some market participants argue that the company may be overvalued, citing valuation metrics such as EV/EBITDA and P/E ratios. There is also a view that Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of its most profitable divisions, could face intensified competition from Google or other major players in the future. In addition, reliance on global economic conditions for online retail demand introduces further risk for long-term investors.

• Gap risk. Markets may open with price gaps, which can result in unexpected losses if risk management is insufficient and positions are not properly protected.

Amazon is a leader in its sector, which is why its stock attracts many long-term investors. In the short term, swing trading and fundamental analysis-based trading are effective strategies.

Price chart of AMZN in real time mode