Blue Nile, Inc. (NILE) - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

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Profile:Blue Nile, Inc. is an online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry with a particular focus on engagement diamonds and settings. Diamonds represent the most significant component of its product offerings. The Company`s range of fine jewelry products includes diamond, platinum, gold, pearl and sterling silver jewelry and accessories. Its fine jewelry assortment includes rings, wedding bands, earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and watches. Customers can purchase customized diamond jewelry by selecting a diamond and then choosing from a variety of ring, earring and pendant settings that are designed to match the shape of each individual diamond. The customized product is then assembled and delivered to the customer typically within four business days.
http://www.bluenile.com/

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Blue Nile: Führungsriege will verkaufen

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(©BörseGo - http://www.boerse-go.de)
Drei Führungskräfte des Online-Juwelenhändlers Blue Nile haben heute formal ihre Absicht erklärt, Aktien ihres eigenen Unternehmens verkaufen zu wollen. Die Verkäufe sollen im nächsten Jahr stattfinden; sowohl CEO als auch CFO und COO wollen Titel abstoßen. Der Umfang der Verkäufe soll 10 Prozent ihres jeweiligen Aktienpakets nicht übertreffen. Daneben wurde aber erklärt, dass auch weitere hochrangige Firmenangehörige demnächst in ähnlichem Umfang Titel auf den Markt bringen wollen.

Blue Nile schlittern an der Nasdaq derzeit um 11,79 Prozent nach unten auf 26,02 Dollar.

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Mit etwas glück sind die Verkäufer jetzt erstmal raus. Hoffe jetzt gehts wieder aufwärts.
Die Nachrichten über die kommenden Vorstandsverkäufe dürften schätzungsweise mit eingepreist sein.
Fragt sich nur warum die Führungsriege Aktien loswerden will.

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Black Friday`s Fade to Gray
By Rick Aristotle Munarriz (TMF Edible)
November 22, 2004

Yes, it`s that time of year again. The day after Thanksgiving has traditionally been the start of the holiday shopping season. Retail monitoring specialist ShopperTrak estimates that $7.2 billion was spent during last year`s Black Friday, a nearly 5% improvement from the 2002 showing.

That means that those of you with back problems may want to be careful when you step outside on Thursday to pick up your morning paper. It is usually loaded with store circulars promoting their early-bird deals. However, that doesn`t mean that you need to break your back by dragging yourself out of bed in the wee hours the next morning to line up early for your holiday shopping.

Every year finds more and more traditional retailers offering up their Black Friday blowout deals online. The chains may have been skeptical at first. Discount department store giants Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and Kmart (Nasdaq: KMRT) actually went back to the drawing board more than once in launching their online storefronts. Others such as Target (NYSE: TGT) and Toys "R" Us (NYSE: TOY) eventually handed over their sites to the proven e-tailing prowess of Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN).

The online shopping migration is real. The world`s leading retailer, Wal-Mart, grew its sales by 5% last year while Motley Fool Stock Advisor newsletter recommendation Amazon rang up a 34% spike in sales. Online upscale jeweler and Rule Breakers pick Blue Nile (Nasdaq: NILE) has grown its top line by 32% this year while the leading jewelry chain Zale (NYSE: ZLC) saw its sales climb by just 4% in fiscal 2004.

While that doesn`t mean that the malls will be a whole lot less crowded this Friday it does mean that as a consumer -- and an investor -- one can`t simply ignore the fact that online retailers are nibbling away at the market share.

So while you are bound to see endless footage of folks duking it out over bargain-priced DVD players and Elmo dolls, maybe it`s time to replace the Ready, Set, Shop! mantra with Ready, Set, Click!


How is Amazon shaping up for the 2004 holiday season? When will its growth rate slow to that of traditional retailers? All this and more -- in the Amazon discussion board. Only on Fool.com.

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Online Sales Expected to Jingle

By Troy Wolverton
TheStreet.com Staff Reporter
11/22/2004 4:45 PM EST

Shares of some of the smaller public e-commerce companies on Monday were boosted by Shopping.com`s upbeat prediction about online holiday shopping.

Earlier in the day, the online price-comparison service said that it expects to record 33% year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter, bolstered by strong holiday e-commerce sales. The report was the first guidance the company had given for the holiday period.


Apparently in reaction, shares of Blue Nile (NILE:Nasdaq - commentary - research), eCost.com (ECST:Nasdaq - commentary - research) and Overstock.com (OSTK:Nasdaq - commentary - research) all got a bump up. In the regular session, Blue Nile shares closed up $1.40, or 5.5%, to $26.87; eCost shares ended the day up 40 cents, or 2.5%, to $16.53; and Overstock`s closed up 92 cents, or 1.7%, to $56.05.

All three companies devote a large chunk of their marketing budgets to online advertisers, in particular to price-comparison sites such as Shopping.com.

Sales and revenue for e-commerce companies and offline retailers are typically most robust in the fourth quarter.

However, some e-commerce players saw little benefit from Shopping.com`s report. Shares of eBay (EBAY:Nasdaq - commentary - research), for instance, closed up $1.14, or 1.1%, to $109.48, while shares of Amazon.com (AMZN:Nasdaq - commentary - research) were off 50 cents, or 1.3%, to $38.05.

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panik hast du ne Ahnung ob der hohe und steigende Goldpreis dem Geschäft von Blue Nile sorgen macht
Ist schon klar das die zusätzlichen Kosten an den Endkunden weitergegeben werden, aber ob hohe preise zum kaufen anregen ist auch wieder sone sache.

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Sorry Cupid, Santa`s the One Handing Out Engagement Rings This Year - and He`s Buying Them Online



1 in 3 Engagements Will Take Place This Holiday Season;
More Men Than Ever Before Buying Diamonds Online
SEATTLE, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of Americans each year share in the holiday spirit by giving their hearts to that special someone. Nearly one-third of the 2.3 million annual engagements occur in November and December, making it the most popular time of year for marriage proposals. Whether it`s wrapped in a box, stuffed in a stocking, or pulled from a pocket at just the right moment, an engagement ring is the ultimate holiday gift. This year, more men than ever before will choose the Internet over a traditional jewelry store for what, in many cases, is the most important and expensive, not to mention confusing, purchase of their lives.

Internet jeweler Blue Nile (Nasdaq: NILE) is the leading online retailer for high-end diamond engagement rings. Focused on empowering the consumer, the company`s Web site helps shoppers through the process by offering extensive and interactive education tools. Blue Nile`s rapid growth in popularity is reflected in a recent report by the Center for Media Research, which stated `jewelry and watches` is the fastest growing product category for online retail. So how much does that ultimate holiday gift cost? According to IDEX (International Diamond Exchange), the average U.S. engagement ring fetches $2,500.

"Blue Nile`s Build Your Own Ring customization tool enables men to design the perfect engagement ring that matches their taste and budget. With our selection of more than 50,000 diamonds and over 70 unique settings men can create more than two-million engagement ring combinations," said Blue Nile`s Engagement and Jewelry Expert John Baird. "Our unmatched selection of independently certified diamonds which are priced 20 to 40 percent below retail combined with help from non-commissioned diamond experts, simply cannot be matched by traditional jewelers."

According to a survey by the NPD Group three out of four men say they do not feel knowledgeable about buying jewelry and more than half believe they need to become educated before purchasing a diamond. To help simplify the diamond-buying process, Blue Nile helps men navigate this task through an emphasis on interactive diamond education and design tools on its Web site. In addition, its diamond and jewelry experts are available to answer questions over the phone or via email.

For those men considering popping the question during the holidays, Blue Nile`s Baird offers the following tips:

* Research, Research, Research: Don`t let jewelers fool you -- buying a
diamond is a perfectly objective purchase. With a little research you
can quickly become an expert and buy like a professional.

* Buy Certified: All diamonds are not created equal. Insist that your
diamond have an independent grading report from either the GIA
(Gemological Institute of America) or AGS (American Gem Society). The
GIA and AGS are considered the gold standard. Diamonds accompanied by
these grading reports are the most highly valued in the industry, as
their quality is considered guaranteed.

* Of The Four C`s, Cut Counts Most: A diamond has four major
characteristics -- cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, known as the
Four Cs. These characteristics determine the diamond`s quality and
price. All are important, but a diamond`s cut is the most critical.
Even if a diamond has perfect color and clarity, but has a poor cut it
will appear dull.

* It`s OK To Be Shy: Diamond prices jump at the carat and half-carat
marks, so try to buy just shy of these levels. For example, instead of
a 1 carat, look for a .95. You`ll save a significant amount of money,
and the slight size difference will never be noticed.

* The Sweet Spots: As color and clarity grades improve, diamond prices
increase. However, above certain color and clarity grades the human
eye cannot detect these subtle differences. In effect, you`re paying
for something that you can`t see, not unlike paying someone to paint
the underside of your house. For example, to achieve the best value
consider a near-colorless instead of a colorless diamond or a VS2
(Very Slightly Included) clarity grade as opposed to a Flawless
clarity grade.

For those already married or not ready to pop the question just yet, Blue Nile offers a vast selection of diamond and non-diamond jewelry items at all price levels. Some of this season`s most popular items include:

* Freshwater Cultured Pearl 100" Rope Necklace, $325
This unusual necklace can be worn in several classic styles. Loop the
necklace multiple times to create a twisted look or vary the loop
lengths for several graduated strands.

* 18k White Gold Triple Bezel Diamond Drop Earrings (3/4 ct. tw.),
$1,300
Three diamonds dangle by a long 18k white gold chain, creating eye-
catching style in a fashionable look.

* Sterling Silver Diamond Heart-Tag Necklace, $80
A petite sterling silver heart is set with a single brilliant diamond
in this classic design. The heart hangs gracefully from a polished
sterling silver rolo chain and you can have it engraved for a
personalized gift.

* Sterling Silver Engine-Turned Business Card Case, $100
This engine-turned design and rectangular frame of this sterling
silver card case makes carrying business cards easy and tasteful for
any executive. Engrave it for a personalized look.

* 18k White Gold Pave Diamond Hoops (1 ct. tw.), $975
These earrings combine the fashionable and fun look of hoops with the
brilliance of thirty five diamonds creating sparkle that permeates
each earring.