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Technology Stocks : Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Sonny Blue who wrote (54125)4/29/1999 5:18:00 PM
From: Spytrdr  Respond to of 164684
 
FORGET AMZN GUYS, EGRP IS THE STOCK TO OWN FOR 1999.
DOUBLE, TRIPLE AND QUADRUPLE YOUR MONEY IN A YEAR.
BESIDES, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY "MARGIN RESTRICTIONS" TO BUY EGRP ON MARGIN, AS YOU DO WITH THE STUPID VOLATILE AMZN AND OTHERS...
READ THIS!

ETrade puts on a show
By Stephanie Gates
Red Herring Online
April 28, 1999

"Online investing is the killer app," declared ETrade's (Nasdaq: EGRP) chief marketing officer Jerry Gramaglia to a standing-room only audience at Hambrecht & Quist's (NYSE: HQ) annual technology conference yesterday.

H&Q report: Gateway spins an apology
ETrade puts on a show
H&Q report: Pixar can make even a banker smile

ETrade has reason to sound cocky. With 27 consecutive quarters of growth, more than one million online accounts, a billion-dollar war chest, and a hefty market capitalization, the company is sitting pretty right now.

The online investment company has captured a significant share of a growing market with "between 20 to 25 percent of all new accounts," according to Mr. Gramaglia.

Analysts at H&Q see Internet appliances as the future.
ETrade acquired ClearStation less than a month ago.
Nasdaq welcomes electronic communication networks (ECNs) like ASB.

To increase its competitive edge and make its service easier to use, ETrade will launch a revamped Web site in the second week of May. Mr. Gramaglia says the next generation of ETrade should "give Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) and AOL Finance (NYSE: AOL) a real run for its money." Apparently unconcerned with its dominant competition, the marketing executive neglected to mention Charles Schwab's (NYSE: SCH) online business.

IGNORING THE DOWNSIDE
More importantly, Mr. Gramaglia did not address the main issues dragging on the company, such as pending lawsuits and recurring system crashes during heavy trading. Instead, he put on a great show, wooing the audience with clips from television commercials and splashy pictures of billboard advertising.

ETrade understands that in the commodity world of online trading, branding is a key differentiator. As Mr. Gramaglia summed it up, "It is really now all about brand choice." The company is pushing its brand with an aggressive marketing campaign that pitches a "Take Charge" message designed to convince average Americans to take charge of their life and, of course, their personal finances.

ETrade has also recently spent $25 million on a customer service center in Atlanta, Georgia, to beef up its infrastructure and plans to expand into Japan and Switzerland, where it is currently operating test sites.

INVESTING STRATEGICALLY
While Mr. Gramaglia repeatedly mentioned ETrade's hefty $1 billion war chest, he did not articulate the company's strategy for spending its cash.

The company has already made a number of strategic investments, including a 28 percent investment in online investment bank EOffering and a 25 percent investment in transaction company ASB (formerly Archipelago Services).

In March, ETrade also agreed to acquire financial advisory Web site ClearStation in an all-stock transaction. The purchase will allow ETrade to expand its online offerings.

Clearly, the company has a long shopping list. But don't attend a presentation expecting to gain stategic information and insight. You may have to settle for just a good show.



To: Sonny Blue who wrote (54125)4/29/1999 6:07:00 PM
From: H James Morris  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 164684
 
Sonny, the "Thing" that I like about you is that your an optimist.
One piece of a pig casting off a little weight, doesn't mean you should join Kis, too.



To: Sonny Blue who wrote (54125)4/29/1999 6:08:00 PM
From: tonyt  Respond to of 164684
 
>I think we have exhausted all the Net selling today.

You could be right. Even 'Wrong-way' Murphy covered his AMZN shorts @ 173 today.



To: Sonny Blue who wrote (54125)4/30/1999 8:09:00 AM
From: Frank Williams  Respond to of 164684
 
Friday April 30, 7:40 am Eastern Time

BEFORE THE BELL - Amazon.com strengthens

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - Shares of Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. rose in
pre-opening trade Friday as Web shares showed signs of rallying.

''The Internets are pretty much all up. They are kind of rebounding here,'' a trader said.

Amazon.com stood at 178 on the Instinet electronic broker system, up from a Thursday close
at 168-1/4.

Internet shares slumped Thursday after Amazon.com warned of deepening losses in coming
quarters.