Amazon.com Inc (AMZN): Today's Featured Retail Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Amazon.com ( AMZN) pushed the Retail industry higher today making it today's featured retail winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.3%. By the end of trading, Amazon.com rose $5.32 (2.1%) to $255.92 on average volume. Throughout the day, 2.7 million shares of Amazon.com exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 3.2 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $249.56-$256.10 after having opened the day at $251.21 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $250.60. Other companies within the Retail industry that increased today were: Alon Holdings Blue Square - Israel ( BSI), up 9.7%, Bon-Ton Stores ( BONT), up 7.5%, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage ( NGVC), up 5.4%, and Best Buy ( BBY), up 4.7%.
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Amazon.com, Inc. operates as an online retailer in North America and internationally. It operates retail Websites, such as amazon.com and amazon.ca. The company serves consumers through its retail Websites and focuses on selection, price, and convenience. Amazon.com has a market cap of $113.92 billion and is part of the services sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 307.3, below the average retail industry P/E ratio of 311.1 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 45.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. Currently there are 24 analysts that rate Amazon.com a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 10 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Amazon.com as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, good cash flow from operations and increase in stock price during the past year. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including feeble growth in the company's earnings per share, deteriorating net income and disappointing return on equity.

On the negative front, U.S. Auto Parts Network ( PRTS), down 6.8%, Pacific Sunwear ( PSUN), down 5.4%, Vitacost.com ( VITC), down 3.2%, and Casey's General Stores ( CASY), down 3.1%, were all laggards within the retail industry with Dollar Tree Stores ( DLTR) being today's retail industry laggard.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the retail industry could consider SPDR S&P Retail ETF ( XRT) while those bearish on the retail industry could consider ProShares Ultra Sht Consumer Goods ( SZK).

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