eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Friday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on 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 report on Wednesday, February 28th. Mizuho upped their price target on eBay from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on eBay from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Barclays boosted their price objective on eBay from $61.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on eBay from $49.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, eBay currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $51.35.

eBay Price Performance

Shares of eBay stock opened at $49.65 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 2.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $50.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $44.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.89, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.31. eBay has a 12 month low of $37.17 and a 12 month high of $52.93.

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

eBay announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 27th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the e-commerce company to purchase up to 8.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at eBay

In other news, SVP Edward O. Garcia sold 1,165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the senior vice president now owns 31,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,372,140.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of eBay

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EBAY. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of eBay by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 48,186 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $2,125,000 after buying an additional 1,658 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in eBay by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 147,661 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $6,510,000 after acquiring an additional 5,149 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its stake in shares of eBay by 109.7% in the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 10,263 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $453,000 after purchasing an additional 5,370 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of eBay by 2.4% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,762,716 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $209,988,000 after purchasing an additional 113,771 shares during the period. Finally, Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the third quarter worth approximately $288,000. 87.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About eBay

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.