Analyst Upgrades

• Interpublic Group (IPG) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Radware (RDWR) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Fluor (FLR) and Waddell & Reed (WDR) to buy from hold, as well as AllianceBernstein (AB) to hold from sell, at Citigroup.
• MetroCorp (MCBI) and American Capital (AGNC) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• International Flavors (IFF) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• BioCryst (BCRX) and Southern Company (SO) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Bunge (BG) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ...

Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Online jewelry retailer Blue Nile (NILE) took the earnings stage Friday morning, with the company reporting a third-quarter profit of $2.8 million, or 19 cents per share -- up 7.7% from its year-ago results. Net sales for the quarter added 0.8% to $67.5 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were looking for a third-quarter profit of 18 cents per share on $72.1 million in revenue.

For the current quarter, Blue Nile predicted a profit of 41 cents to 46 cents per share, with sales arriving between $106 million and $115 million. Analysts anticipate a fourth-quarter profit of 43 cents per share from Blue Nile.

Continue reading Blue Nile Spikes Higher on Solid Q3 Report

Blue Nile Spikes Higher on Solid Q3 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Diamonds are always popular around Valentine's Day, but lingering unemployment problems and consumer confidence woes have hit most jewelry stores hard. But not Blue Nile (NILE).

This online retailer of fine custom-made rings, earrings and necklaces allows consumers to browse a huge array of diamonds without paying a middle man. This allows for some great deals, making NILE your best bet to cash in on jewelry sales this Valentine's Day.

Next: Limited Brands (LTD)

At the time of this writing, Louis Navellier did not own shares of NILE in personal or client portfolios.

Valentine's Day Stock #2: Blue Nile (NILE) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Valentine's Day may be a commercialized holiday to some, but there's no denying that its big business. And this coming Valentine's Day may be extra sweet since it falls on a Sunday, making it a great excuse for a romantic night out. In fact, total Valentine's Day spending is expected to reach $17.6 billion this year, up 3.3% over 2009, according to consumer spending researchers at IBISWorld.

That's a big payday, and one that investors should be paying attention to.

Continue reading Ten Valentine's Day Stocks to Love (and 10 to Hate)

Ten Valentine's Day Stocks to Love (and 10 to Hate) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Better Than It Could Have Been (NILE, GRMN, SKIL, BWLD, DDSS, LEAP. PCS)

Closing Bell: Better Than It Could Have Been (NILE, GRMN, SKIL, BWLD, DDSS, LEAP. PCS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As John, Paul, George, and Ringo once said, "Money can't buy me love." While true, money can buy long-stemmed roses, expensive dinners, theater tickets, and jewelry. On the flip side, this money can be tucked away for a rainy day -- the fancy floral delivery replaced with daisies from the grocery store, the pricey meal forgone for the cozy neighborhood spot (or fondue at home).

Many of us have long criticized St. Valentine's Day as a holiday conceptualized and fueled by Hallmark and American Greetings (NYSE: AM). But even more of us fall into its trap, spending a nice chunk of change in mid-February to prove our affection to our significant other.

Continue reading Is romance the latest recession victim?

Is romance the latest recession victim? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you thought Black Friday was just for brick-and-mortar retail, think again. The official start of the online shopping rush is the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday (Cyber Monday is its name), but don't think that companies like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) are going to wait that long. They're in the game now. And they want your attention. More importantly, they want you to use the virtual shopping carts at their respective sites early and often. It's really crucial this year, because the economy stinks, and growth in spending isn't going to be great.

According to CNBC, Amazon's strategy is to use very low prices as a way of stopping competitors like eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) dead in their electronic tracks. This Christmas season, retailers, whether online or not, may find themselves in a no-win situation. They have to lower prices to encourage people to shop. But quality growth in top-line sales is questionable. When managements see the bad news flow about the global recession, they become scared and want to become even more aggressive in terms of pricing. The strategy may work and it may not. It's a vicious circle. Don't get me wrong, the retail industry faces this problem every year at this time, but you have to agree that the current economic cycle is particularly noxious. It's times like these, however, when retailers should want to offer more than just a value proposition. They should want to offer a differentiated shopping experience, a better selection of items. They should strive to offer up a brand image that makes you want to hit their inventories first. They need to step away from trying to undercut all their competitors and instead figure out how to stock the right merchandise in the right amounts. And when it comes to a business like Amazon, I think there's great opportunity to go beyond low-pricing strategies. Quite frankly, I don't care whether Amazon has the lowest prices or not. I find it easier to do some of my holiday shopping on the site. It saves me time during this busy season, I trust the security of the platform, and I know that the supply chain is efficient and reliable. And I definitely think of Amazon first when looking to do online shopping because of its valuable brand equity.

Continue reading Will Amazon win with its pricing strategy?

Will Amazon win with its pricing strategy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Piper initiated Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) with a Neutral rating and $23 target and believes the rate at which the company gained market share over the past two years is unsustainable. The firm expects EPS deceleration over the next few years.
  
• Piper believes Entropic Comm (NASDAQ: ENTR) is a key benefactor from the general adoption of high definition video consumer goods, as well as from growth in multi-room DVRs. The firm assumed shares with a Buy rating and $10 target.
  
• Cleveland Cliffs (NYSE: CLF) was started with a Buy rating and $135 target at Deutsche Bank. The firm believes CLF is a leveraged play on bulk commodities' momentum.

• Merrill initiated Allied Capital (NYSE: ALD) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Stifel initiated Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) with a Buy rating and $54 target, and initiated Bank of Florida (NASDAQ: BOFL) with a Buy rating.

Analyst initiations: NVDA, ENTR and CLF originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE), a leading online retailer of diamonds and jewelry, is recently down $14.64 (or over 27%) to $39.20 in pre-open trading.

NILE management indicated Q1 consumer spending on luxury goods is looking soft, and will likely impact future results.

RBCM has a target price of $55 on NILE. NILE over all option implied volatility of 126 it above its 26-week average of 65 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option update: Blue Nile volatility at 126 as shares decline 27% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Blue Nile just sparkles with opportunity

Blue Nile just sparkles with opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Merriman downgraded shares of UQM Technologies Inc (AMEX: UQM) to Neutral from Buy after Phoenix Motorcars delayed its electric vehicle manufacturing ramp, as they view the company's Phoenix Motorcars relationship as the primary driver for near-term growth.
• Citigroup downgraded shares of Blue Nile Inc (NASDAQ: NILE) to Sell from Hold on valuation as they believe near-term risks outweigh rewards. They see risk to Q3 revenue estimates and their analysis suggests an in-line quarter at best.
• NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: NPSP) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Oppenheimer and to Hold from Buy at Jefferies. Oppenheimer lowered shares following disappointing Gattex data; Jefferies believes the P3 GATTEX results in short bowel syndrome make the chances of successful low-dose approval unpredictable.
• Friedman Billings downgraded Massey Energy Company (NYSE: MEE) to Underperform from Market Perform based on valuation, 2008/2009 outlook, spinoff of Patriot Coal appears to be a better investment option, and another blow to mountaintop mining and permit issues.
• JP Morgan removed The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE: HIG) from their Focus List; however, they believe the company's fundamental outlook remains positive and expects strong Q3 results.

• Morgan Stanley downgraded EV3 Inc (NASDAQ: EVVV) to Underweight from Equal Weight.
• Business Objects SA (NASDAQ: BOBJ) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Roth Capital.
• Goldman downgraded The Nasdaq Stock Market Inc (NASDAQ: NDAQ) to Neutral from Buy.
• Banc of America downgraded The Pepsi Bottling Group Inc (NYSE: PBG) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst downgrades: UQM, NILE, NPSP, MEE and HIG originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) was initiated with a Buy rating and $24 target at Banc of America as they believe the company's core business is undervalued and should benefit from penetration of new market segments. Deutsche Bank views shares of the stock as fully valued at current levels, starting shares off with a Hold rating and $20 target. Jefferies believes the divergence in valuation of core EMC and majority-held VMWare Inc (NYSE: VMW) creates an attractive entry point. The firm started EMC shares with a Buy rating and $25 target.
  
• CIBC finds shares of Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) fairly valued and sees challenges as competition increases. The firm started shares with a Sector Performer rating.
  
• CIBC also initiated shares of Getty Images Inc (NYSE: GYI) with a Sector Performer rating, as the firm believes the company's earnings visibility is limited while the business model is in transition.
  
• Coverage of Sonus Networks Inc (NASDAQ: SONS) was resumed with an Overweight rating and $8 target at Thomas Weisel. Their checks indicate the company is experiencing increased order activity in 2H07, and they expect an improved Q3 followed by a very strong Q4.

• Credit Suisse Group (NYSE: CS) was initiated with an Overweight rating at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Oppenheimer initiated Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: CNSL) with a Buy rating and $24 target.
  
• UBS initiated the U.S. homebuilding sector with a Pessimistic outlook.
  
• UBS initiated shares of Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) with a Neutral rating and $37 target.
  
• Bear started shares of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) with a Peer Perform rating.
  

Analyst initiations: EMC, NILE, GYI and SONS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Baird reduced estimates across the board in the process control sector due to lower expectations for North American industrial and residential construction. The firm downgraded Roper Industries (NYSE: ROP), Regal-Beloit Corp (NYSE: RBC) and Baldor Electric (NYSE: BEZ) to Neutral from Outperform and AO Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) to Underperform from Neutral.
• Goldman downgraded shares of R.H. Donnelley Corporation (NYSE: RHD) to Neutral from Buy after the company updated its 2007 guidance to reflect deteriorating trends in local advertising.
  
• Vonage Holdings Corp (NYSE: VG) was downgraded to Sell from Hold at Soleil due to liquidity concerns.
  
• Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank on valuation and mixed near-term trends.
  
• Transocean Inc (NYSE: RIG) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Gabelli. Even though the deepwater market continues to be strong, the firm is concerned regarding the continuing weakness in the jackup market as well as the limited upside potential due to the company's ships being in use through 2009.

• XM Satellite Radio Holdings (NASDAQ: XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc (NASDAQ: SIRI) were downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS.
  
• Blue Nile Inc (NASDAQ: NILE) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Suntrust.
  
• Citigroup downgraded shares of CheckFree Corporation (NASDAQ: CKFR) to Hold from Buy.
  
• Morgan Stanley downgraded McAfee Inc (NYSE: MFE) to Underweight from Equal Weight.

Analyst downgrades: Process control sector, RHD, VG, CCE and RIG originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So you need to buy some diamond jewelry, but don't know anything about the market? That's all right. There's a place online that explains shape, cut, color, clarity, carat weight, certification and setting ... and then let's you design your piece right there on the site. It's the largest online diamond retailer in the world.

Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) sells diamond, platinum, gold, pearl, and sterling silver jewelry on web sites based in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Products include settings, wedding bands, earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and watches. The Blue Nile web sites showcase in-depth educational materials and online tools that place consumers in control of the jewelry shopping process. Prices are significantly below traditional retail. Tiffany (NYSE: TIF) is a major competitor.

The company pleased investors last week, when it reported Q2 EPS of 23 cents and revenues of $72.1 million. Analysts had been expecting 18 cents and $67.1 million. Management also guided Q3 EPS to 13-15 cents (13 cent consensus), Q3 revenues to $66-$67.5 million ($62.7M consensus), FY07 EPS to 94-99 cents (90 cent consensus) and FY07 revenues to $312-$318 million ($306M consensus). The news popped the shares out of a late-July/early August "cup" into the mid-August "handle" of a Cup & Handle formation. The price is now showing signs of completing the pattern with a bullish rise from the right-hand side of the "handle."

Brokers recommend the shares with three "strong buys," one "buy," eight "holds" and two "sells." Analysts see a 27% growth rate through the next year. The NILE Sales Growth rate (26.67%), EPS Growth rate (27.78%), Return on Assets (16.81%), Return on Investment (30.68%), Return on Equity (31.12%) and Revenue per Employee ($1.77M) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 600 SmallCap Index. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between $33.05 and $98.50. A stop-loss of $73.75 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com.

Blue Nile (NILE): Build-your-own diamond rings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Blue Nile Inc (NASDAQ: NILE) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 5pm.
• SINA Corporation (NASDAQ: SINA) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 9pm.

• Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 11am.
• Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 4:30pm.

• Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 8am.
• Hot Topic Inc (NASDAQ: HOTT) to report monthly sales at 4pm.

• More monthly sales reports, including: Chicos FAS Inc (NYSE: CHS) at 7:30am; Limited Brands Inc (NYSE: LTD) at 7:30am; Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE: WMT) at 8am; AnnTaylor Stores Corporation (NYSE: ANN) at 8am; and Abercrombie & Fitch Co (NYSE: ANF) at 8:15am.

• EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 12pm.
• PDUFA date for Solvay SA (OTC: SVYSY) and Wyeth's (NYSE: WYE) Bifeprunox for the treatment of Schizophrenia.

Market highlights for next week: Sprint Nextel (S), Cisco (CSCO) to report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has filed a suit accusing Dell Inc (NASDAQ: DELL) and affiliate Dell Financial Services of deceiving consumers, including fraud, false advertising and deceptive business practices, to increase computer sales, reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
• Alan Greenspan signed Allianz's (NYSE: AZ) Pacific Investment Management, known as Pimco, as his first economic consultant client, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Inside Scoop" column reported that Blue Nile Inc (NASDAQ: NILE) CEO Mark Vadon sold 250,000 shares and CFO Diance Irvine sold 40,000 shares, with InsiderScore.com's Ben Silverman advising caution on Blue Nile due to the selling.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C) shares rose sharply in after-hours trading yesterday after Edward Lampert, the hedge fund manager who controls Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), disclosed he had acquired an $800M stake in Citigroup.

• TechCrunch.com reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the deal, that News Corporation's (NYSE: NWS) MySpace will acquire Flektor for a price in the $10M-$20M range.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-16-07: Dell in hot water originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 May 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) is helping to bring eBay Inc's (NASDAQ: EBAY) Skype "to the masses," by selling Skype Internet calling phone gear in the electronics section of its stores.
• The Wall Street Journal's "BreakingViews" section speculated that a merger between General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) NBC and Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) would "make industrial sense."
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that the Bancroft family, which control a majority of the voting shares of Dow Jones and Company Inc (NYSE: DJ), is split over the idea of meeting with News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) Chairman Rupert Murdoch to discuss his $5B offer for Dow Jones.
• The Financial Times reported that Internet jewelry retailer Blue Nile Inc (NASDAQ: NILE) is launching operations in Europe.

• According to the Sunday Telegraph, Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) has hired Morgan Stanley to help defend itself in the event of an unsolicited takeover approach.
• The Sunday Telegraph reported that Clear Channel Communications Inc (NYSE: CCU) is expected to put its international poster business up for sale for as much as $3.2B.
• The Telegraph reported that rival groups are looking to stop Alcoa Inc's (NYSE: AA) hostile bid for Canadian aluminum producer Alcan Inc (NYSE: AL).
• The Economic Times reported that Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is in talks with "leading Indian business houses including the Tatas," according to sources.
  

• DigiTimes.com reported that the ATI Radeon HD that was just introduced by Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NYSE: AMD) has fallen short of expectations in terms of price, performance and energy efficiency.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-14-07: Wal-Mart pushing Skype originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 May 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• UBS is positive on the ethylene cycle over the next two years and believes Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW) can beat 2008 consensus estimates, initiating shares with a Buy rating.

• JMP Securities started Smart Modular (NASDAQ: SMOD) with a Strong Buy as a unit volume growth theme without much dependence on commodity memory chip pricing.

• Citigroup expects further upside given Wolverine World Wide's (NYSE: WWW) strong portfolio of brands, further growth opportunities through line extensions and international growth. The firm started Wolverine World Wide with a Buy rating and $33 target.

• Winn-Dixie Stores (NASDAQ: WINN) was started with a Market Perform rating, citing low levels of profitability and unproven ability to drive sustainable profitable sales.

• American Technology believes the valuation of Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) leaves little room for upside, despite a highly attractive business model and strong fundamentals, and started shares with a Sell rating and $45 target...

• Susquehanna started King Pharma (NYSE: KG), Sepracor (NASDAQ: SEPR) with Neutral ratings and Sciele Pharma (NASDAQ: SCRX) with a Positive rating.

• Citigroup initiated shares of Quicksilver Inc (NYSE: ZQK) with a Hold rating.

• Longbow started Mips Tech (NASDAQ: MIPS) with a Buy rating and $12 target.

Analyst initiations 5-11-07: DOW, NILE, WINN and ZQK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 May 2007 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bidz.com, an online auction site for jewelry, filed for its IPO about a year ago.

Yet, the deal never got traction and the company withdrew its offering this week. Interestingly enough, the company said the reason is that it could not get some of its shareholders to agree to a lock-up.

To me, this is kind of strange. Lock-ups are normal in IPOs. Basically, they prevent shareholders from selling their stock for a period of time (usually six months after the offering).

And, even when a lock-up expires, there are usually continuing restrictions on selling stock (such as during black-out periods and so on).

OK, so if Bidz.com's shareholders are very interested in selling their stock, how does canceling the offering help things?

I really don't know.

But, given the intense competition that Bidz.com faces -- such as from eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), uBid, Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) and so on -- I have to suspect there are other reasons for canceling the offering.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&A Handbook and the EDGAR-Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.

Bidz.com can't get bids for its IPO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Beth Gaston Moon, an analyst from Schaeffer's Investment Research, reviews a trio of companies that are poised to benefit from the sentiments surrounding the annual lovers' holiday.

Here, she looks at Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:TIF), with its coveted blue boxes; online jewelery retailer, Blue Nile (NASDAQ:NILE); and Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD), with its Victoria's Secret line.

The analyst explains, "The traditional robin-egg blue color of Tiffany & Co. is instantly recognizable, particularly among those with especially generous mates. The luxury retailer has been pointed skyward since early August, tacking on more than 40% and hitting a new 52-week high above the support of its 10-week moving average."

As a contrarian, she adds, "On a sentiment front, TIF could be in the midst of a short-covering rally. Last month, the number of TIF shares sold short dropped 12% as frustrated bears moved toward the exits.

"Nearly 7% of the stock's float remains shorted, however, amounting to a short-interest ratio of about seven days to cover. A continued 'short squeeze' could supply TIF with additional buying momentum. The March 40 call looks like an appealing, though slightly aggressive, play at this juncture."

Continue reading Sweatheart stocks for Valentine's Day

Sweatheart stocks for Valentine's Day originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.