eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Sunday morning.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of eBay from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on eBay from $49.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on eBay from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Susquehanna increased their price objective on eBay from $43.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of eBay in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued a sell rating and a $38.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $49.21.

eBay Stock Down 1.6 %

EBAY stock opened at $49.45 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $48.91 and its 200 day moving average is $44.16. The stock has a market cap of $25.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. eBay has a 1-year low of $37.17 and a 1-year high of $52.93.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The e-commerce company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.51 billion. eBay had a net margin of 27.36% and a return on equity of 29.16%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.87 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that eBay will post 3.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

eBay Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 25th. Investors of record on Monday, March 11th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 8th. This is an increase from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. eBay’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.69%.

eBay announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 27th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the e-commerce company to buy up to 8.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Edward O. Garcia sold 1,165 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.03, for a total transaction of $50,129.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 31,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,372,140.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of eBay

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SteelPeak Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of eBay in the 4th quarter worth about $1,767,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in eBay by 604.4% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 630,956 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $27,522,000 after purchasing an additional 541,384 shares during the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI purchased a new position in shares of eBay during the third quarter valued at approximately $798,000. Sapient Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of eBay during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $955,000. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group raised its holdings in shares of eBay by 1.6% in the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,785,607 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $122,817,000 after buying an additional 43,616 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.48% of the company’s stock.

eBay Company Profile

eBay Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates marketplace platforms that connect buyers and sellers in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, and internationally. The company's marketplace platform includes its online marketplace at ebay.com, off-platform businesses, and the eBay suite of mobile apps.