Amazon's streak of Fire ignites sharesAmazon.com Inc's quarterly results beat Wall Street's most bullish expectations as heavy spending by the world's largest Internet retailer began to pay off through sales of more digital products on its new Kindle Fire tablet. Amazon shares surged almost 15 percent, increasing the company's market value by more than $10 billion and boosting the stake of Ladies high heel Chief Executive Jeff Bezos by almost $2.5 billion. Analysts cheered first-quarter earnings and revenue which comfortably exceeded their forecasts. "It's been a couple of years since Amazon beat expectations on both the top and the bottom line," said Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. "That's reminiscent of the Amazon from three or four years ago." Amazon is spending in three main areas: fulfillment centers to support online retail; video content and other media businesses; and infrastructure for its cloud computing service. Among its latest ventures is the Kindle Fire, the tablet that competes with Apple Inc's iPad, that some analysts say the company is selling at breakeven or a small loss. The Fire is important because it helps Amazon handle the shift from physical media products, like books, DVDs, video games and CDs, to digital versions of such content. During the first quarter, nine out of 10 of the top selling products on Amazon.com were digital products, including Kindle e-books, movies, music and apps, the company noted. Amazon Chief Financial Officer Tom Szkutak told analysts on a conference call that the company was pleased with growth in sales of the digital content that Kindle e-readers and the Fire tablet are designed to accelerate. "One of the concerns with the shift from physical to digital has been whether Amazon will be able to compete," said Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie. "They've done well in e-books, but now it looks like they're also doing well in other areas like video." North America Media revenue, which includes books, DVDs and music, came in at $2.2 billion in the first quarter, up 17 percent from a year earlier. During the fourth quarter of 2011, this segment grew 8 percent. Amazon's Szkutak said higher digital content purchases by Kindle customers helped North America media sales growth re-accelerate in the first quarter. MARGINS IMPROVE Amazon's heavy spending has pressured profit margins in recent quarters, hitting the company's shares. But in the first quarter, gross margins rose by about 120 basis points to roughly 24 percent, Macquarie's Schachter estimated. "The biggest concern has been margins. A lot of investors have been looking for the company to demonstrate that it could get leverage on all of these investments it's been making," said Caris & Co analyst Scott Tilghman. The situation for Amazon now resembled "what we saw back in the 2004 to 2006 time frame when the company was making a lot of investments and margins got squeezed. Then in the years following, margins expanded and revenue accelerated. It looks like the company is in that position right now." Shares in the company leapt to $225 in extended trading, further swelling the company's already lofty valuation of more than 70 times earnings. BY THE NUMBERS In comparison, the 12-month forward price-earnings ratio for the S&P 500 stands at about 12, while Apple is trading at 13 times forward earnings. Amazon reported net income fell to $130 million or 28 cents per diluted share in the first quarter, versus $201 million or 44 cents a year ago. But that was far above the average Wall Street forecast for 7 cents a share. First-quarter revenue of $13.18 billion, up 34 percent from a year earlier, was ahead of Wall Street estimates for $12.9 billion. Operating income was $192 million, compared with $322 million a year earlier. "This looks like a quarter that has something for everyone, growth and margins to satisfy investors. This was a perfect balance. It looks to me there was a follow-through for the Kindle and Kindle Fire in the re-acceleration of growth in media," said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordan Rohan. "We were expecting 15 cents EPS ... and we were probably the high end of the Street of where the margins were," said Evercore Partners analyst Ken Sena. "You are starting from a very low point: modest improvement on fashion jewelry a percentage basis. It looks pretty good. I think the margins have a long way to go, but I think at least to see them moving in the right direction is an encouraging sign."

India tests nuke-capable missile able to hit ChinaIndia announced the successful test launch Thursday of fashion sunglasses a new nuclear-capable missile that would give it the ability to strike the major Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai for the first time, a significant step forward in its aspirations to become a regional and world power.The Agni-V missile, with a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), still requires a battery of tests and must clear other bureacratic hurdles before it can be inducted into India's arsenal. But officials hailed the launch as proof the country has taken its place among the world's most powerful and scientifically advanced nations."The nation stands tall today," Defense Minister A.K. Antony said, according to the Press Trust of India.The test came just days after North Korea's failed rocket launch, but sparked none of the same global condemnation aimed at Pyongyang, an internationally isolated regime that has been banned by the U.N. from testing missile technology.China is far ahead of India in the missile race, with intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching anywhere in India. Currently, the longest-range Indian missile, the Agni-III, has a range of 3,500 kilometers (2,100 miles) and falls short of many major Chinese cities."At the moment there is a huge assymetry in China's favor," said C. Uday Bhaskar, the former head of the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses. After it adds the missile to its arsenal, however, "India's deterrent profile in the region would be appropriately burnished."Video released by the government showed the Agni-V taking off from a small launcher on what appeared to be railroad tracks at 8:07 a.m. from Wheeler Island off India's east coast. It rose on a pillar of flame, trailing billows of smoke behind, before arcing through the sky.The missile hit an altitude of more than 600 kilometers (370 miles), its three stages worked properly and its payload was deployed as planned, the head of India's Defense Research and Development Organization, Vijay Saraswat, told Times Now news channel."India has emerged from this launch as a major missile power," he said.The Chinese government did not immediately comment on the missile launch. State-owned China Central Television called the test "a historic moment for India and it shows that India has joined the club of the countries that own ballistic missiles."The state broadcaster then enumerated some of fashion jewelry the missile's shortcomings, from a problem with guidance systems to its 50-ton-plus weight, which it said would require it to be fired from fixed, not mobile positions and thus make it more vulnerable to attack."It does not pose a threat in reality," CCTV said.The Agni-V is a solid-fuel, three-stage missile designed to carry a 1.5-ton nuclear warhead. It stands 17.5 meters (57 feet) tall and was built almost completely with Indian-made technology at a reported cost of 25 billion rupees ($486 million). It can be moved across the country by road or rail and can be used to carry multiple warheads or to launch satellites into orbit.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the launch as "another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science."The missile will need four or five more trials before it can be inducted into India's arsenal at some point in 2014 or 2015, Indian officials said.India hailed the test as a major step in its fight to be seen as a world power."India has today become a nation with the capability to develop, produce, build long-range ballistic missiles and today we are among the six countries who have this capability," Saraswat said.Analysts say France, Russia, China and the United States also have this technology, while Israel is believed to have developed such missiles.Others were more cautious.Defense analyst Rahul Bedi said much needed to be done, noting that a government that is notoriously slow with defense decisions now needs to push forward with more tests, work out strategic doctrines, define targets, figure out manufacturing issues and how many missiles to build among a host of other issues."We need to build on today's success ... to build in a very capable dissausive deterrence capability," he said. "But going back to past records I don't know if we can sustain it."India and China fought a war in 1962 and continue to nurse a border dispute. India has also been suspicious of Beijing's efforts to increase its influence in the Indian Ocean in recent years.India already has the capability of hitting anywhere inside archrival Pakistan, but has engaged in a splurge of defense spending in recent years to counter the perceived Chinese threat.The Indian navy took command of a Russian nuclear submarine earlier this year, and India is expected to take delivery of a retrofitted Soviet-built aircraft carrier soon.

BERLIN (AFP) - According to ugg classic Germany captain Michael Ballack, the race for the Bundesliga title is already over as Borussia Dortmund show little sign of loosening their stranglehold on the German league."Top place is gone for everyone else, Dortmund are too far ahead," sighed Ballack, who made his comeback on Sunday following a four-month lay-off from a broken leg.His Leverkusen team are second in the German league, but 11 points behind the leaders and Ballack could only watch from the bench as Dortmund demolished his team 3-1 at home 10 days ago.Although the leaders were held 1-1 at home by strugglers Stuttgart on Saturday, Dortmund are on course for their first league title since 2002.Having hand-picked his team since his arrival in 2008, coach Jurgen Klopp has nurtered several of his young stars up to the national team.Mats Hummels and Kevin Grosskreutz made their debuts for Germany just before the World Cup, while Marcel Schmelzer and teenager Mario Goetze wore the Germany shirt for the first time last November."Dortmund have a young, success-hungry team with a good team spirit," enthused Germany coach Joachim Loew, who picked the quartet for the goalless draw with Sweden last November."Above all others, the way the Dortmund team plays has Cheap ghd really impressed me. After their win in Leverkusen, they have the best chance of winning the German title."As Bayern Munich announced their return to the title race with a 5-1 win at home to Kaiserslautern on Saturday, Klopp knows the Bavarian giants will not give up their title as German champions without a fight."If Bayern had our lead, it would probably all be over," said Klopp, whose team face Bayern in Munich on February 26."Nevertheless, we know that a lot can still happen and we have to just stay on our path."The facts speak for themselves.Dortmund have 15 wins from 19 matches, a goal difference of 31 and have only conceded 12 goals all season.They have been beaten just twice: a 2-0 defeat at home to Leverkusen on the opening day of the season and a shock 1-0 slump at Eintracht Frankfurt in December.Schmelzer, Goetze, the son of a professor at Dortmund's Technical University, and Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin all came up from the youth team.Neven Subotic, the towering centre half, came with Klopp from Mainz, while Grosskreutz, the fleet-footed winger, was found playing for Rot-Weiss Ahlen in the second division.The joint top-scorers, Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa and Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios have bagged sixteen goals between them and were plucked from Asia and South America respectively.Hummels, who has been ear-marked as a Germany star of Red Monkey Jeans the future, was signed from Bayern Munich in July 2009 for 4.2 million euros, Klopp's most expensive purchase so far, and has forged a strong partnership alongside Subotic.Using their considerable pace, Dortmund are more than capable of flooring the Bundesliga's top sides with lightning counter-attacks or creating chances either down the flanks or through the middle.Ballack has been the most prominent voice to question Dortmund's temperament if they are put under pressure, but his side's 3-1 defeat to the leaders settled that debate.Likewise, Bayern were beaten 2-0 in Dortmund when the sides met in October and Munich are now 14 points behind the leaders.Klopp, who was overlooked for Jurgen Klinsmann in 2008 as Bayern coach, has an easy media-friendly persona and showed his talent for comedy in a spoof interview last November.In the interview for main German broadcaster ZDF, Klopp fielded questions as though his side were bottom of the league, not four points clear at the top of the table and fresh from hammering Hanover 4-0 at home."I don't know if I am the right man for the job," he Boss Sweater sighed, tongue-planted firmly in cheek.

DOHA, Qatar (AP)—Saudi Arabia’s coach cheap ugg boots on sale believes a win over Japan on Monday will “restore pride” to the Asian powerhouse, but the team’s fans might not be convinced.Whatever happens in the final group game against another of the region’s traditional heavyweights, the three-time winners and three-time runners-up of the Asian Cup will be going home humiliated.“We are sorry to our fans and to the media and to those concerned,” coach Nassir al-Johar said Sunday. “We will try our best to think about our prestige, our name, our reputation during the match (against Japan). Our players have every potential to do that and to restore our reputation again.”The Saudi team has lurched from one crisis to the next in Doha. A shock opening 2-1 defeat by Syria, one of the lowest ranked teams in the tournament, triggered the firing of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, but things didn’t improve.A 1-0 loss to Jordan, another team the Saudis would normally expect to beat, ended the team’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage, and prompted King Abdullah to intervene on air max Shoes Saturday and remove the football federation’s president, Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.Al-Johar, who was parachuted in for his fifth stint as Saudi coach after Peseiro’s departure, refused to answer a question about Prince Sultan’s dismissal on Sunday, saying he would only talk about Monday’s game.However, al-Johar has made it clear he blames Peseiro’s chopping and changing of players for Saudi Arabia’s troubles.“Technically, we are suffering right now,” he said. “The preparation was not very good for the team. At the last Gulf Cup (in November), there should have been the same team preparing for this Asian Cup.“So in general, the preparation period was very short and we did not succeed. That’s all.”Peseiro was also the target for much of the fans’ anger after the loss to Jordan, when the Saudi team was booed from the pitch.“It was Peseiro’s fault,” Saudi fan Fahed al-Shommari said at the Al-Rayyan Stadium. “He played warmup matches with a different team every time. The players were not good also.”Another fan, Fadel al-Yousuf, told the Jeddah-based English language daily Arab News that “the good days are gone” for the Saudi team.“Everyone from team captain Yasser al-Qahtani to Nike shox NZ goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah should be held responsible,” he said. “The team manager should be held responsible. There must be an investigation and we need to see people punished for this embarrassment.”The removal of Prince Sultan, who was responsible for the appointment of Peseiro, and his replacement appears to suggest the King agrees with the aggrieved fans.But the Saudis’ struggles didn’t start in Doha. The 2010 World Cup was the first not to feature the Green Falcons since 1990 after they lost to Bahrain over two legs.They haven’t won the Asian Cup since 1996, meaning their title drought will have reached almost 20 years by the time Australia hosts the next tournament in 2015.Alberto Zaccheroni, who is trying to avoid becoming the first Japan coach since 1988 to fail to lead his team to the knockout stage, believes one explanation for Saudi Arabia’s slide is that “the game has reached a more even level” in the region.Whatever the reason, a positive result for Saudi Arabia against Japan would at least mean that the new regime has a platform on which to build for the future.“We have to leave our mark on this tournament,” midfielder Red Monkey jeans Mohammed Massad said. “Saudi Arabia can still restore its reputation in this tournament. We have to win.”

DOHA, Qatar (AP)—After a bitter discount ugg boots election battle, the newest FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein of Jordan said Thursday it’s time to put aside rivalries and work to unite Asian football.The 35-year-old Prince Ali last week beat incumbent Chung Mong-joon of South Korea to become the youngest member on FIFA’s ruling executive committee. It was a surprising result since Chung had the backing of Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed bin Hammam.Prince Ali said there was significant “pressure” put on national federations in the 46-nation AFC to support a block of candidates led by Chung, which was “harmful to Dr. Chung.” He said that pressure backfired, and that he won the vote 25-20 by reaching out to the federations and making promises about empowering women and youth development.“Before the vote, we were told there was no chance,” Ali told The Associated Press. “But with the dignity of the national association regardless of the pressure put on them and that was tremendous … regardless of that, they made their choice and I am happy.”Saying he hasn’t yet take up his post, Prince Ali 2010 jerseys refused to be drawn into any discussions about corruption at FIFA or what action he might take to clean up the scandal-plagued organization.Several FIFA officials were accused of bribe-taking and vote-trading before the World Cup host elections last month. Russia was awarded the 2018 tournament and Qatar was given 2022.FIFA’s ethics panel investigated and barred two of the 24-member executive committee members, Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, from voting based on evidence provided from an undercover sting by British newspaper The Sunday Times.Adamu became the first FIFA official suspended for bribery and is serving a three-year ban from duty. Temarii, a FIFA vice president, was given a one-year ban for breaching rules on confidentiality and loyalty.Both men Thursday formally appealed their suspensions.The soft-spoken Prince Ali, who has served as the president of the Jordan Football Association and the West Asian Football Federation, also sidestepped a question on whether Nike shox NZ he would support FIFA president Sepp Blatter when he runs for re-election in June.His victory is seen as beneficial to Blatter since Chung was a possible candidate for the top post. After the vote, Sheik Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who heads the Olympic Council of Asia and the Kuwait Football Federation, said the 25 delegates who voted for Prince Ali will support Blatter when he stands for re-election and that Bin Hammam—who is also seen as having an eye on the presidency—is unlikely to challenge him.“Look we have tremendous respect for President Blatter,” Prince Ali said, adding that Blatter supported neither candidate in the election. “We want the best for FIFA, for football. I’m not Red Monkey jeans a politician and that is one of the keys to our success. I care about Asia.”

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)—Vitali Klitschko will sports jerseys defend his WBC heavyweight title against undefeated Cuban fighter Odlanier Solis on March 19 in Cologne.Solis, the 2004 Olympic champion, is 17-0 with 12 knockouts and is the No. 1 ranked WBC challenger. Vitali Klitschko is 41-2, with 38 KOs.“Solis is a very experienced, quick and uncomfortable opponent and I will not underestimate him,” the 39-year-old Klitschko said through his management on Tuesday.“I’ll show him in the ring that I am the true champion,” the Ukrainian said. “The bet remains in the Klitschko family.”Klitschko’s younger brother Wladimir holds the IBF and WBO titles and will defend them against unbeaten British challenger Dereck Chisora in Mannheim, Germany, on April 30.The only belt the Klitschko brothers don’t own is the WBA, which is held by David Haye of Britain. Plans for a fight between Haye and one of the Klitschko brothers keep falling through, although Haye has said he hopes to fight Wladimir this year.Solis earned the fight against Vitali when he won an eliminator in December against Ray Austin, who was disqualified in the 10th round.The Miami-based Cuban said Vitali had been fighting deadweights in recent years and predicted he would take the belt away “and leave Cologne as the world champion.”Klitschko’s last fight was in October when he won uggs outlet store a unanimous decision against Shannon Briggs in Hamburg.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—John Elway is sports jerseys barely into his first weekend as the Denver Broncos’ new chief of football operations and already he’s in damage-control mode.Elway took to his Twitter account Saturday to deny speculation he would trade quarterback Tim Tebow(notes).The fuss started when Peter King strongly implied on NBC that Elway might trade Tebow to the team that hires former Broncos coach Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator.Elway has said on several occasions since being hired as the Broncos’ new vice president of football operations that Tebow is a good football player, but he has to become a good quarterback.He’s also said Tebow’s famous work ethic will help him make the transition and that the next Broncos coach should be as big a believer in Tebow’s promise as he is.In response to King’s report, Elway tweeted: “To clarify my thoughts on Tim Tebow… I think he’s a very good football player, and if anyone can turn themselves into a great QB, Tim can.”“Myself and our entire organization think very highly of him. We are pleased with his first year as a Bronco,” Elway added in a second tweet.His third was his strongest yet: “Any speculation that the Denver Broncos are considering moving Tim is completely false.”Tebow, selected by McDaniels with the 25th pick in the NFL draft last April, played only sparingly in goal-line or short-yardage situations prior to McDaniels’ firing Dec. 6.Interim head coach Eric Studesville installed Tebow as uggs sale his starter after Kyle Orton(notes) sustained bruised ribs and endured two poor performances in a row.Tebow went 1-2, rallying Denver from a 17-point halftime deficit to a 24-23 win over Houston and nearly pulling off a fourth-quarter comeback against San Diego a week later in the season finale.Elway said he was impressed with Tebow’s play, especially considering he had such a paltry number of practice snaps during the season and threw just one pass until he supplanted Orton.Tebow is the first NFL rookie quarterback since Minnesota’s Fran Tarkenton in 1961 to post four games with both a TD run and a TD pass.“Tim Tebow is a darn good football player,” Elway said at his introductory news conference Wednesday. “What we have to make him is a darn good quarterback and that is what we have to figure out.“If there is anybody that is going to give himself a chance to be a darn quarterback or a great quarterback it is going to be Tim Tebow because that is how devoted he is to it and how important it is for him to be a great football player,” Elway added. “I want to tell you this: he loves the Nike Dunk SB Low Shoes Denver Broncos. I have had a chance to talk with him and he is everything about what we like in a football player as a Denver Bronco.”A three-time All-American, two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy winner at Florida, Tebow has proven enormously popular in the NFL, too. His jersey was the third-best seller this season and he has a number of national endorsements, including Jockey.

PERTH, Australia (AP)—American NFL jerseys Bethanie Mattek-Sands stunned world No.7 Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-4 in the United States’ 2-1 win over Italy at the Hopman Cup on Wednesday.John Isner gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead after coming through a close encounter against Potito Starace 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4. But Italy denied the U.S. a second clean sweep at the Hopman Cup, as Schiavone and Starace pulled off a surprising 6-7 (5), 6-2, 10-3 victory in the mixed doubles.The result means that all four nations in Group B—Italy, the United States, Britain and France—still have a chance of qualifying for Saturday’s final.Dressed head-to-toe in black, Mattek-Sands wasted little time in applying pressure to the French Open champion Schiavone, breaking to go 3-2 ahead in the opening set and maintaining her lead the rest of the way.Schiavone looked under par on another humid day in Perth, falling a break behind at the start of the second set. She broke back, but it was merely delaying the inevitable as Mattek-Sands broke again to complete the victory.“That was my goal going into this match—to get into the net before she did,” Mattek-Sands said. “She’s an aggressive player and I was just trying to take her high balls early and not get myself behind the baseline too far.“I worked pretty hard in the off season for EMU Australia Boots my fitness. I had to hang in with Francesca. She’s a great player. That last game, I mean I was running from side to side. It was a great match.”Starace was the first to break in the men’s match, beating the lanky Isner’s serve for the first time in the competition at 3-3 in the opening set. But the American broke straight back, and the set went into a tiebreaker.Starace refused to be put down, staying strong on serve and breaking Isner at the crucial juncture to win the second set.As both men were drained by heat, Starace looked like causing an upset when he broke Isner’s serve again to lead 3-1. But the American broke back, and broke again to take the set and the match with his 23rd ace.“I needed some air conditioning out here today,” Isner said. “When I got broken in the 3rd that freed me up a bit, I started going for my shots a little more, that helped me out. I lost my serve three times, it doesn’t happen that often, but I’d rather win the match like this than lose one where I didn’t lose my serve.”Britain takes on France in the other Group B tie later Wednesday, when Laura Robson faces Kristina Mladenovic and Andy Murray plays Nicolas Mahut.Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova, who was forced to withdraw from the Hopman Cup on Monday after injuring her knee against Ana Ivanovic, confirmed that she has torn Bape t-shirt her meniscus and will require surgery that will probably result in her missing the Australian Open.