Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:WDC), VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEAMEX:VHC), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:DB)
Amazon Falls on Operating Profit Forecast Miss (BusinessWeek)
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), the world’s largest online retailer, fell the most in almost three months after forecasting operating profit that missed estimates as the company invests in warehouses and digital content. The shares fell 7 percent to $255.55 at 11:07 a.m. in New York, and earlier touched $255.28 for the biggest intraday decline since Feb. 1. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) yesterday predicted an operating loss of $340 million to a profit of $10 million, compared with analysts’ projections for a profit of $165.1 million. First- quarter net income fell 37 percent to $82 million, or 18 cents a share, from $130 million, or 28 cents, a year earlier. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos is pouring money new warehouses and digital content to lure new customers and outside sellers who in turn generate extra income. Even as spending climbed, the growth in the number of items sold on the website slowed.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) -6.65% just delivered a solid first-quarter report, with profit easily beating analysts’ expectations. The stock is up about 1% in extended trading. Amazon’s profit was $82 million, or 18 cents a share, down from $130 million, or 28 cents a share, a year earlier, but analysts had expected a profit of 8 cents a share. Amazon reported total sales of $16.1 billion, basically just under analyst expectations, according to S&P CapitalIQ. Amazon is also pricing in some aggressive expansion into its guidance: for the second quarter, the company forecast operating results to range from a profit of $10 million to a loss of $340 million and revenue of $14.5 billion to $16.2 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected revenue of $15.9 billion.
Amazon to open shipping centre in Czech Republic (ET)
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) plans to build a 100,000-sqm logistics centre in the Czech Republic, daily E15 reported, citing several unnamed sources familiar with the company’s plans. It said the U.S. online seller picked the Czech Republic over neighbouring Poland. The shipping site should create at least 1,000 new jobs in the central European country and Amazon had plans to launch its operation by the autumn, the paper also said. Amazon was not immediately available to comment.
Amazon’s success formula to profit: Move bits instead of boxes (FinancialExpress)
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) appears to have figured out the secret to being more profitable: sell less physical stuff. The company reported slowing revenue growth and offered a disappointing outlook for this quarter on Thursday, exacerbating uncertainty about the health of its business beyond the United States. But that may be masking a fundamental shift in its business on home turf. The Internet retail giant that once specialized in moving books and other physical items quickly is increasingly trying to do the same in the digital world, where profit margins are higher, partly because e-books, music and video files and are transmitted electronically at high speed.
Baidu’s Profit Growth Slows (WSJ)
Chinese Internet-search company Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) -6.87% reported slower profit growth in the first quarter as concerns persisted about rising costs and how quickly the company can earn money from increasingly popular mobile services. Baidu’s 40% revenue increase in the quarter was generated by a jump in advertising customers, but heavy investment in research and development and rising promotional spending caused profit growth to lag. Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), which generates almost all its revenue from search advertising, has posted strong earnings in recent years after taking a comfortable lead in the Chinese search market. It has overtaken much of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) -1.11% share since 2010, when Google shifted its local search traffic to Hong Kong following a disagreement with Chinese government officials over online censorship.
Baidu.com Rating Lowered to Hold at Brean Murray (BIDU) (DailyPolitical)
Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) was downgraded by Brean Murray to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Friday, Stock Ratings Network reports. A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on BIDU. Analysts at TheStreet reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Baidu.com in a research note to investors on Thursday, April 18th. Separately, analysts at Zacks upgraded shares of Baidu.com from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note to investors on Wednesday, April 17th. They now have a $91.30 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Maxim Group cut their price target on shares of Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) from $80.00 to $75.00 in a research note to investors on Tuesday, April 16th. They now have a “sell” rating on the stock.
Chinese search giant Baidu reports slower profit growth as mobile service expands (WashingtonPost)
Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), which operates China’s most popular search engine, reported slower profit growth in its latest quarter Friday as costs rose sharply and competition for its new mobile service intensified. Earnings rose 8.5 percent from a year earlier to 2 billion yuan ($328.9 million) for the three months ended March 31, the Beijing- based company announced. That was down from the previous quarter’s 36 percent increase. Revenue rose 40 percent from a year earlier to 6 billion yuan ($961 million) but expenses rose at faster rates. Research and development costs increased 82.9 percent. Sales and administration rose 77.2 percent.
