Analyst: Whole Foods Delivery Boosts Amazon Prime Value

Amazon stock is trading higher after the bull note

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) stock is up 0.3% to trade at $1,607.52 this morning, after receiving some bullish analyst attention from J.P. Morgan Securities. Although no price-target hike or upgrade was given, the brokerage valued Amazon's Prime subscription service at $785 per year, nearly seven times its annual cost -- and more than 44% more than its 2016 estimated value. The analyst in coverage cited several new benefits from the past year such as the Whole Foods delivery service and two-day deliver as reason for the growth.

On the charts, AMZN shares have relied on support from their ascending 80-day moving average, a trendline that caught the last two pullbacks in April. The equity has added more than 37% in 2018 alone, yet remains off its April 27 record high of $1,638.10.

Options traders are staying optimistic. Data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) shows AMZN with a 10-day call/put volume ratio of 1.37, which ranks in the 96th annual percentile. This suggests calls have been purchased over puts at a much faster-than-usual clip over the past two weeks -- and those purchasing short-term options doing so on the cheap.

Analysts are upbeat toward the FAANG stock, too. Of the 34 brokerages covering the shares, 31 maintain a "buy" or better rating. Plus, the average 12-month price target of $1,827.93 is a nearly 14% premium to current trading levels.