eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Shares of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Hold" from the twenty-seven analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $65.54.

Several brokerages have issued reports on EBAY. StockNews.com raised eBay from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating on shares of eBay in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of eBay from $72.00 to $71.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $72.00 price target on shares of eBay in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on shares of eBay from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th.

eBay Stock Performance

NASDAQ EBAY traded down $0.66 during trading on Friday, reaching $66.50. 356,712 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,204,361. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25. eBay has a fifty-two week low of $48.52 and a fifty-two week high of $71.61. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $67.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $64.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.72, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.45.

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eBay Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a $0.29 dividend. This is a positive change from eBay's previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. eBay's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.07%.

Insider Transactions at eBay

In other eBay news, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 5,625 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.38, for a total transaction of $350,887.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 542,248 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,825,430.24. This trade represents a 1.03 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 1,033 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.93, for a total value of $67,072.69. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 65,080 shares in the company, valued at $4,225,644.40. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 16,241 shares of company stock worth $1,061,665 over the last three months. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of eBay

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in eBay by 12.4% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 28,493,042 shares of the e-commerce company's stock worth $1,765,148,000 after acquiring an additional 3,149,934 shares in the last quarter. Independent Franchise Partners LLP boosted its position in shares of eBay by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Independent Franchise Partners LLP now owns 11,178,638 shares of the e-commerce company's stock worth $692,517,000 after purchasing an additional 2,277,839 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new stake in shares of eBay in the 3rd quarter valued at about $105,506,000. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in eBay by 304.2% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,105,270 shares of the e-commerce company's stock valued at $130,421,000 after buying an additional 1,584,404 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in eBay in the fourth quarter worth approximately $96,214,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.