Signet Jewelers to buy Diamonds Direct for $490 million; hikes outlook ahead of the holidays

Signet Jewelers on Tuesday said it agreed to buy the off-mall jewelry chain Diamonds Direct USA for $490 million in cash, in a bid to reach younger shoppers and inch closer to hitting its annual revenue goal of $9 billion.

Signet, which owns jewelry chains Kay Jewelers, Zales and Jared, also raised its outlook for the fiscal third quarter and for the year. It’s the second time Signet has increased its fiscal 2022 forecast in recent weeks. The company said consumer demand is high ahead of the holidays, and it’s not experiencing any supply chain disruptions like many of its peers in the retail industry.

“Customers are showing positive response to our new product launches, and the reduction in government stimulus and customer shift to spending on entertainment and travel are having less impact than we previously anticipated,” said Chief Financial Officer Joan Hilson, in a press release.

Signet made sure to receive holiday products early this year, she added. The company said it uses air freight to transport the vast majority of its merchandise, so it is not dealing with the ongoing ocean freight congestion.

Signet now sees its third-quarter revenue ranging between $1.42 billion to $1.45 billion, up from a previous range of $1.26 billion to $1.31 billion.

For the year, it expects revenue to be between $7.04 billion and $7.19 billion, up from prior guidance of $6.80 billion to $6.95 billion.

The company expects to complete the Diamonds Direct acquisition in its fourth quarter.

Signet shares jumped more than 3% in premarket trading on the news, having closed Monday down roughly 4%. The stock is up 200% year to date. Signet has a market value of about $4.4 billion.

Read the full press release from Signet here.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.