<div id="readability-page-1" class="page"><p>Amazon Web Services, the cloud division of tech giant Amazon (AMZN), is seeing stronger cloud margins than its rivals, partly due to rising customer spending on Anthropic's Claude through AWS Bedrock, according to research from <em>Semianalysis</em>. The study said that most cloud providers are benefiting from both AI and non-AI demand, but AWS stands out because its margin trend is actually moving higher. By comparison, Semianalysis said that Oracle (ORCL) and CoreWeave (CRWV) disappointed investors with weaker-than-expected cloud profits, while Microsoft's (MSFT) Azure margins are trending lower.</p><h3>Memorial Day Sale – Claim 70% Off TipRanks</h3>Explore AMZO for 2X short leverage on AMZN <p>A big part of the AWS advantage appears to be Anthropic's growth and how Claude is sold through Bedrock. Indeed, Anthropic's annual recurring revenue and its Bedrock deal structure helped AWS increase EBIT margins by 213 basis points in the first quarter of 2026. Amazon is also benefiting from a token-as-a-service model, which is a bigger part of its AI business than at other cloud providers. On top of that, AWS is building data center capacity faster than its rivals, while its custom Graviton chips continue to offer better economics than third-party alternatives.</p> <p>The Anthropic piece is especially important because the company's annual recurring revenue reportedly jumped by $21 billion in the first quarter to $30 billion. Importantly, that surge was driven by Claude Code, which has gained strong traction with enterprises, while consumer demand for Claude has also improved. The research also noted that Anthropic is gaining a larger share of net new customers versus OpenAI in card panel data, with higher average transaction values as well. </p> <h2><strong>Is Amazon a Buy, Sell, or Hold?</strong></h2> <p>Overall, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on AMZN stock based on 45 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average AMZN price target of $319 per share implies 17.7% upside potential.</p></div>

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<p>Amazon Web Services (AWS) is outperforming rivals in cloud margins, driven by increased demand for Anthropic's Claude via AWS Bedrock. Research indicates AWS's EBIT margins rose by 213 basis points in Q1 2026, while competitors like Oracle and Microsoft are struggling. Anthropic's annual recurring revenue surged to $30 billion, enhancing AWS's position. Analysts maintain a Strong Buy consensus on AMZN stock, with a price target suggesting a 17.7% upside.</p>

- Amazon Web Services (AWS) is achieving stronger cloud margins than competitors, partly due to increased customer spending on Anthropic's AI product, Claude.  
- The growth in AWS's EBIT margins, up 213 basis points in Q1 2026, is attributed to Anthropic's revenue surge, which reached $30 billion, along with AWS's quick data center expansion and efficient custom chips.  
- Analysts have a Strong Buy consensus on AMZN stock, with an average price target of $319, indicating a 17.7% potential upside.

AWS Margins Are Leaving Cloud Rivals Behind as Anthropic Demand Surges