β‘οΈ8 Straight EPS Beats: Can Apple π & Amazon π Keep the Streak Alive?
Two tech giants.
Eight consecutive quarters of EPS outperformance.
And now β two very different stories heading into earnings.
π $AAPL$ and $AMZN$ have both crushed Wall Street expectations quarter after quarter. But with rising rates, AI competition, and shifting consumer behavior, the question is clear:
π Can the streak continue β or are cracks starting to form beneath the surface?
Letβs break down whatβs priced in, whatβs at risk, and whoβs better positioned post-earnings.
π Apple: Services Boom or Hardware Plateau?
$AAPL$ heads into Q3 earnings with strong tailwinds from Services, but growing questions about iPhone growth and China exposure.
π Consensus estimates:
EPS: $1.43
Revenue: $88.96B
β 7 out of the last 8 quarters have seen top-line beats, with a perfect 8/8 EPS streak intact.
What investors are watching:
iPhone and Wearables revenue amid FX pressure and soft China demand
Growth in Services, now >25% of total revenue (App Store, iCloud, Apple Music)
Margins, as supply chains normalize and cost discipline improves
Risks include macro weakness in China π¨π³ and muted excitement around hardware cycles.
But Appleβs ecosystem strength β and installed base of 2.2B devices β keeps its flywheel turning.
π Amazon: Cloud Comeback or Consumer Caution?
$AMZN$ has made a remarkable shift: from βlow-margin e-comβ to a profitable platform juggernaut.
π Consensus estimates:
EPS: $1.31
Revenue: $162.02B
β Amazon has beaten EPS 8 straight times β and revenue in 7 of the last 8.
Key drivers this quarter:
ποΈ Prime Day spillover and Q2 e-commerce momentum
π¦ AWS β expected to show further growth reacceleration (up from 17% to 21% YoY)
π Logistics and fulfillment margin expansion β now monetized as a B2B platform
Cost-cutting is now visible in the numbers. And consumer demand β especially in North America β remains surprisingly resilient.
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π Are Valuations Justified or Overheating?
πΈ Valuation metrics as of this week:
Apple
Forward P/E: ~29x
YTD Gain: +20%
Free Cash Flow: ~$100B/year
Amazon
Forward P/E: ~41x
YTD Gain: +27%
FCF rebounded to $50B trailing
π Both names are trading near historical valuation highs β especially $AMZN$, which has rerated aggressively since Q2 2023.
Institutional sentiment?
Hedge funds trimmed $AAPL$ slightly in Q1, citing limited upside
$AMZN$ saw inflows, especially as AWS margins improved
Neither is cheap β but the premium may reflect durability, not hype.
π€ Innovation Moat: AI, Devices or Cloud?
AI will be a critical narrative in both earnings calls β but execution looks very different.
π§ Apple is leaning into on-device AI, integrating models into iPhones, Macs, and Siri in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.
Apple Intelligence = AI done locally, with a focus on privacy
Custom silicon (M-series, A-series) gives it unique edge
But: monetisation path remains unclear (no subscriptions or Copilot-style pricing⦠yet)
βοΈ Amazon, meanwhile, is going full-stack:
Bedrock, Trainium chips, and new partnerships with Anthropic, Cohere, and Stability AI
AWS AI services are gaining traction in enterprise and healthcare verticals
Alexa refresh coming with generative upgrades
AI isn't just a marketing line for Amazon β it's a multi-product revenue engine, already embedded into AWS contracts.
π¬ Whoβs the Stronger Bet Into Earnings?
So, which streak is more likely to continue?
π Apple:
Lower volatility
Best-in-class balance sheet
Quietly embedding AI without overhyping
But⦠near-term revenue growth may be muted
π Amazon:
Fastest operating leverage improvement
Cloud stabilising, and cost cuts paying off
More sensitive to macro (consumer demand, inflation)
But upside surprises could be bigger if AWS re-accelerates
π Whatβs Your Play This Earnings?
π§ If you had to hold one for the next 5 years β is it Appleβs ecosystem or Amazonβs platform strategy?
π₯ Whoβs got more room to surprise this quarter?
π Could either finally break their EPS beat streak?
π¬ Drop your call β and let the Tiger community know how youβre trading this one.
> Disclaimer: This is not financial advice. For informational and educational purposes only.
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.
- BaronLylyΒ·07-29TOPWow, fascinating analysis on these giants! [Wow]LikeReport
- SuperDuper1Β·07-30Good summary n analysisLikeReport
- CaesarHicksΒ·07-29Exciting optionsLikeReport
