eBay’s (EBAY) Buy Rating Reaffirmed at Benchmark

Benchmark reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $58.00 price target on the e-commerce company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of eBay from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on eBay in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued a sell rating and a $38.00 price target for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on eBay from $55.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on eBay from $49.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on eBay from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $51.35.

eBay Price Performance

EBAY stock opened at $49.65 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $25.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a current ratio of 1.99. eBay has a 1 year low of $37.17 and a 1 year high of $52.93. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $44.86.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The e-commerce company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.53 billion. eBay had a return on equity of 29.11% and a net margin of 25.97%. eBay’s quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that eBay will post 3.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

eBay Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 30th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.18%. eBay’s payout ratio is currently 21.51%.

eBay announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program 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 purchase up to 8.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Edward O. Garcia sold 1,165 shares of the business’s 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 owns 31,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,372,140.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On eBay

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of eBay in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. American National Bank increased its position in eBay by 200.0% in the 1st quarter. American National Bank now owns 600 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in eBay by 73.5% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 732 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 310 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in eBay during the 1st quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in eBay during the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. 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.