Earnings Roundup: Blue Nile, General Motors

Among the earnings stories for Thursday, May 7, from AP Financial News:

SEATTLE (AP) — Online jewelry retailer Blue Nile Inc. said first-quarter profit slipped nearly 25 percent, but results still topped Wall Street expectations as both expenses and diamond prices declined.

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors drew closer to bankruptcy, acknowledging that its revenue fell by nearly half as car buyers worldwide steered away from showrooms for fear that the auto giant would not be around to honor its warranties.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sotheby's said that its losses widened in the first quarter and missed Wall Street's expectations as the global economic downturn battered the international art market and auction sales.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fueled by strong sales of its "Call of Duty," ''Guitar Hero" and "World of Warcraft" franchises, video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. posted better-than-expected results for the first quarter.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The rush of consumers to store-brand products keeps weighing on companies that make name-brand goods, as Sara Lee Corp. and Unilever both announced falling profits and sales volumes.

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — A security breach at credit card processor and payroll services administrator Heartland Payment Systems Inc. has proven costly, driving the company to a first-quarter loss.