Exploring The Competitive Space: Amazon.com Versus Industry Peers In Broadline Retail

In the fast-paced and cutthroat world of business, conducting thorough company analysis is essential for investors and industry experts. In this article, we will undertake a comprehensive industry comparison, evaluating Amazon.com AMZN in comparison to its major competitors within the Broadline Retail industry. By analyzing crucial financial metrics, market position, and growth potential, our objective is to provide valuable insights for investors and offer a deeper understanding of company's performance in the industry.

Amazon.com Background

Amazon is the leading online retailer and marketplace for third party sellers. Retail related revenue represents approximately 75% of total, followed by Amazon Web Services' cloud computing, storage, database, and other offerings (15%), advertising services (5% to 10%), and other the remainder. International segments constitute 25% to 30% of Amazon's non-AWS sales, led by Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Through a thorough examination of Amazon.com, we can discern the following trends:

• The current Price to Earnings ratio of 40.99 is 1.68x higher than the industry average, indicating the stock is priced at a premium level according to the market sentiment.

• With a Price to Book ratio of 8.4, which is 1.34x the industry average, Amazon.com might be considered overvalued in terms of its book value, as it is trading at a higher multiple compared to its industry peers.

• The stock's relatively high Price to Sales ratio of 3.81, surpassing the industry average by 2.1x, may indicate an aspect of overvaluation in terms of sales performance.

• The company has a lower Return on Equity (ROE) of 6.19%, which is 0.94% below the industry average. This indicates potential inefficiency in utilizing equity to generate profits, which could be attributed to various factors.

• The company exhibits higher Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $32.08 Billion, which is 4.91x above the industry average, implying stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.

• Compared to its industry, the company has higher gross profit of $31.0 Billion, which indicates 2.29x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.

• The company is experiencing remarkable revenue growth, with a rate of 11.04%, outperforming the industry average of 7.83%.

Debt To Equity Ratio

The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio helps evaluate the capital structure and financial leverage of a company.

Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.

By evaluating Amazon.com against its top 4 peers in terms of the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following observations arise:

• In terms of the debt-to-equity ratio, Amazon.com has a lower level of debt compared to its top 4 peers, indicating a stronger financial position.

• This implies that the company relies less on debt financing and has a more favorable balance between debt and equity with a lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Key Takeaways

For PE, PB, and PS ratios, Amazon.com is considered overvalued compared to its peers in the Broadline Retail industry. This is indicated by the high PE, PB, and PS ratios. In terms of ROE, EBITDA, gross profit, and revenue growth, Amazon.com's performance is relatively weaker compared to its industry peers. The low ROE suggests lower profitability, while the high EBITDA, gross profit, and revenue growth indicate strong operational performance and growth potential.

This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.