Amazon's stock is up almost sixfold in the past decade.
Investors now are most excited about the prospects of Amazon Web Services.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) needs no introduction. It's one of the world's most valuable companies. It holds commanding positions in various end markets, with a corporate strategy that centers on always chasing massive opportunities. This playbook has worked wonders.
If you'd bought $10,000 worth of this "Magnificent Seven" stock 10 years ago, here's how much your position would be worth today.
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Amazon shares are up 493% in the past decade (as of Oct. 2). That's a nearly six-fold gain that would've grown a $10,000 investment into a stake worth more than $59,300.
When it comes to pure top-line metrics, Amazon is in first place. It collected a whopping $201 billion in net sales in the second quarter. That figure was 560% higher than in Q2 2016. Revenue growth has been the most important catalyst that has driven its stock returns.
Amazon benefits from some powerful secular trends. It dominates online shopping, with more than 40% of e-commerce sales in the U.S. going through its marketplace. Digital advertising has quietly become a major money-maker, bringing in $19.8 billion in revenue in Q2; that was up 26% year over year. And the star of the show is Amazon Web Services, the world's No. 1 cloud computing infrastructure provider.
Investors shouldn't expect this stock to rise another 493% in the coming decade. But Amazon stock is still worth owning.
Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this:
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Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.