New York, March 4, 2026, 16:28 (EST) — After-hours
- Amazon shares ended the after-hours session up 3.9% at $216.77.
- The $427 million campus buy in Ashburn, Virginia, brings fresh room for more data-center capacity.
- All eyes shift to Friday’s U.S. jobs report, widely seen as the next hurdle for tech valuations.
Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) climbed 3.9% to $216.77 in after-hours moves Wednesday, winding up close to session highs. Shares traded between $206.99 and $217.51, with volume tallying roughly 54 million shares.
Investors are still zeroed in on one thing: how quickly Amazon can build out AI infrastructure without triggering concerns over spending. Amazon Data Services is picking up George Washington University’s Virginia Science and Technology campus in Ashburn for $427 million. According to the campus newspaper, the deal could pave the way for a data or IT center at the location. GWU described the sale as “part of a broader strategy to strengthen GW’s long-term financial health and to invest more deeply in our academic mission and community.” Reuters
The tape was steadier, which didn’t hurt. U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday, with tech names picking up as concerns around oil backed off—fresh signals about Iran talks, plus the White House making moves to calm energy prices, played a role there. “That combination is giving the market some optimism, which will be tested over coming weeks,” said Jim Awad, senior managing director at Clearstead Advisors. Reuters
Amazon, meanwhile, is pushing to prove it can scale up retail even as it leans into cloud growth. The company rolled out its Amazon Now service in Brazil this week, offering 15-minute grocery and essentials delivery in Sao Paulo. Plans call for a move into seven more cities by March 9. “Brazil has become a priority among the countries in which Amazon invests in the world,” said country head Juliana Sztrajtman, speaking to reporters. Reuters
Some headlines brought more trouble. AWS disclosed this week that drone strikes linked to the Middle East conflict damaged its facilities in both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
But the risk remains: the cost of Amazon’s AI expansion isn’t small. The company pegged 2026 capital expenditures at roughly $200 billion—significantly higher than the $131 billion expected for 2025, with much of that money earmarked for data centers and equipment. Investors didn’t react kindly to that guidance; shares took a hit when the news landed.
Things aren’t straightforward, even in Northern Virginia, where data centers are king. For the Ashburn site, a Loudoun County supervisor told The Washington Post it would require a special exception because of a 2023 zoning update. The supervisor also called out the area’s power limitations—another twist in the national scramble for both electricity and real estate.
AWS finds itself juggling two big demands: defending its cloud dominance as it scrambles to match the generative AI investments of competitors. Its main measuring sticks remain Microsoft’s Azure and Google Cloud. Each fresh data center signals a wager on future expansion, but also takes a bite out of cash flow.
Traders now have their eyes on Friday’s U.S. Employment Situation report for February, set for release at 8:30 a.m. ET. This data has a reputation for jolting rate forecasts, which can ripple through names like Amazon and other pricey tech stocks.
