eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Short Interest Update

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 24,970,000 shares, an increase of 18.6% from the April 30th total of 21,050,000 shares. Approximately 5.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 6,050,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.1 days.

eBay Stock Performance

NASDAQ:EBAY traded up $0.87 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $78.61. 4,755,818 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,976,969. eBay has a 1-year low of $51.72 and a 1-year high of $79.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a 50-day moving average of $68.74 and a 200 day moving average of $66.78.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The e-commerce company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.55 billion. eBay had a net margin of 19.68% and a return on equity of 30.97%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.25 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that eBay will post 3.86 EPS for the current year.

eBay Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 30th. eBay's dividend payout ratio is presently 27.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded shares of eBay from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, May 12th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of eBay from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on eBay from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein cut eBay from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Daiwa America upgraded eBay from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $67.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at eBay

In related news, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 28,060 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.82, for a total transaction of $1,903,029.20. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,080 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,413,725.60. This trade represents a 30.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.35, for a total value of $497,625.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 590,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $39,153,665.80. This represents a 1.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 280,650 shares of company stock worth $19,637,729. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On eBay

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of eBay by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 23,039 shares of the e-commerce company's stock worth $1,560,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. Smithfield Trust Co raised its holdings in eBay by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 4,411 shares of the e-commerce company's stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton lifted its position in eBay by 36.5% in the first quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 598 shares of the e-commerce company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in eBay by 4.0% in the first quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,201 shares of the e-commerce company's stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in eBay by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,417 shares of the e-commerce company's stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. 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.