Analyst Ratings January 28, 2026

Evercore Says Amazon Grocery Push Is Picking Up Steam; Outperform Rating Reiterated

Analyst firm highlights faster delivery rollout and Whole Foods consolidation as key drivers while other broker targets diverge ahead of earnings

By Marcus Reed AMZN
Evercore Says Amazon Grocery Push Is Picking Up Steam; Outperform Rating Reiterated
AMZN

Evercore ISI has reiterated an Outperform rating on Amazon.com with a $335.00 price target, pointing to momentum in the company's grocery business driven by accelerated delivery options and a more defined physical presence via Whole Foods Market. Amazon is expanding Same-Day Delivery in 2026, rolling out 30-minute Amazon Now service, and consolidating its brick-and-mortar footprint by closing Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores with selected conversions to Whole Foods. The company also won a $581 million Pentagon contract to support the U.S. Air Force's Cloud One Program through December 2028. Other brokers have adjusted their price targets in recent weeks.

Key Points

  • Evercore ISI reiterated an Outperform rating on Amazon with a $335.00 price target, citing progress in the grocery business.
  • Amazon is expanding grocery Same-Day Delivery into more communities in 2026 and beginning to roll out Amazon Now for sub-30-minute deliveries; its current grocery delivery coverage spans over 5,000 U.S. cities and towns.
  • The company is closing all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores and will convert selected locations into Whole Foods Market stores, consolidating its brick-and-mortar grocery footprint.
  • Amazon won a $581 million Pentagon contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s Cloud One Program through December 2028, providing Amazon Cloud Service across various U.S. facilities.

Evercore ISI has once again affirmed an Outperform rating on Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), maintaining a $335.00 price target while pointing to growing traction in the company’s grocery business as a central catalyst.

In its assessment, the research house emphasized two primary drivers behind Amazon’s grocery push: accelerated delivery capabilities and a clearer, more focused physical retail footprint centered on Whole Foods Market.

On the delivery front, Evercore ISI notes plans to broaden the grocery Same-Day Delivery service into additional communities during 2026. The firm also highlighted Amazon’s existing grocery delivery reach, which it says already covers more than 5,000 U.S. cities and towns.

Complementing the same-day offering, Amazon has begun introducing Amazon Now, a rapid service intended to deliver grocery orders in 30 minutes or less. Together, the expanded Same-Day coverage and the Amazon Now pilot represent a push to shorten delivery lead times and better serve perishable categories.

Concurrently, Amazon is executing a strategic change in its physical retail approach. The company is closing all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go storefronts and plans to convert select locations into Whole Foods Market stores, consolidating its brick-and-mortar grocery operations and concentrating on the Whole Foods banner as its primary physical presence in groceries.

Beyond retail moves, Amazon recently won a major contract from the Pentagon valued at $581 million to support the U.S. Air Force’s Cloud One Program. The agreement, which runs through December 2028, covers provision of Amazon Cloud Service across multiple facilities in the United States.

Analysts from other firms have also updated their views ahead of Amazon’s upcoming earnings. BofA Securities lowered its price target to $286 while forecasting fourth-quarter revenue of $213 billion, a figure the bank says exceeds Street expectations. Stifel raised its price target to $300, attributing the upward revision to Amazon’s advertising strength. KeyBanc set a higher target at $308, citing potential growth in Amazon Web Services by 2026.

Wedbush has maintained an Outperform rating following the decision to close Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores, viewing the move as a step toward focusing on growth areas and gaining market share in perishables. Collectively, these analyst moves and Amazon’s operational shifts reflect efforts to sharpen the company’s grocery strategy and bolster future growth prospects.

While Evercore ISI’s reiteration underscores confidence in the grocery strategy, the recent range of price-target revisions across brokers highlights differing views on the near-term revenue and profit trajectory as investors await the company’s next quarterly report.

Risks

  • Execution risk around expanding Same-Day Delivery and rolling out Amazon Now could affect grocery operations and logistics performance - impacts sectors such as retail, delivery logistics, and perishable goods supply chains.
  • Converting and closing physical stores introduces uncertainty in brick-and-mortar strategy and may affect market share in certain regions - relevant to grocery retail and commercial real estate exposure.
  • Divergent analyst price targets and revisions suggest differing expectations for revenue and growth, creating uncertainty for investors ahead of the company’s quarterly results - relevant to equity markets and investor sentiment in retail and cloud sectors.

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