California Antitrust Suit Targets Amazon Over Pricing With July Hearing Set

Overview

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in what Reuters reported April 20 as a filing with new evidence, alleges Amazon worked to keep prices higher in a 3½‑year antitrust case.
• The complaint says Amazon coordinated with sellers, including Levi Strauss, to influence prices at Walmart, Home Depot, and Chewy to avoid being undercut.
• The filing cites everyday items such as clothes, fertilizer, eye drops, and pet treats, saying rivals raised prices or limited availability and shoppers paid more as a result.
• Amazon denies wrongdoing, says its agreements are lawful and benefit customers, and faces a July 23 hearing with a trial set for January 19, 2027, as the state seeks damages and an injunction.
• Analysts and investors point to AI as a counterweight, with Truist raising its target to $285 on April 17 on faster AWS growth from AI workloads and Amazon agreeing to invest up to an additional $25 billion in Anthropic.