Amazon operates Amazon Web Services, or AWS, the cloud-computing platform that became a major part of the company’s market value.
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookseller, and the website began selling books in 1995. The company expanded into electronics, household goods, digital media, devices, logistics, and subscription services, becoming one of the world’s largest retailers.
Amazon Web Services launched in 2006 with infrastructure services that allowed businesses and developers to rent computing power, storage, and other tools over the internet. AWS grew into a major profit source and helped investors view Amazon as both a retailer and a technology company.
Amazon became the second company after Apple to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization in 2018. Its stock-market value, like that of every public company, changes with share prices and investor expectations.