eBay Inc. $EBAY Position Lessened by KBC Group NV

Key Points

• KBC Group NV cut its eBay stake by 22.7% in the first quarter, selling 163,734 shares and leaving it with 559,068 shares worth about $50.9 million.
• GameStop now holds nearly 10% of eBay, fueling speculation about a possible strategic deal, partnership, or activist push, though some commentary remains skeptical about the bid’s chances.
• eBay reported strong recent results, beating quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, and analysts have mostly remained constructive with a consensus Hold rating and average target price around $110.52.

KBC Group NV decreased its position in shares of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY - Free Report) by 22.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 559,068 shares of the e-commerce company's stock after selling 163,734 shares during the period. KBC Group NV owned 0.13% of eBay worth $50,886,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC increased its position in eBay by 128.9% in the 1st quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 277 shares of the e-commerce company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of eBay during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of eBay during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Jessup Wealth Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of eBay in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of eBay in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.48% of the company's stock.

eBay News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting eBay this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GameStop disclosed that it has accumulated nearly 10% of eBay, a large stake that could signal strategic interest and spark speculation about a sale, partnership, or other value-creating transaction. GameStop discloses 10% eBay stake as it pushes for a deal
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Ryan Cohen converted derivatives into 43.4 million shares reinforced the view that GameStop is serious about its eBay position, which can support takeover speculation and lift investor interest in eBay. GameStop Builds 9.8% eBay Stake After Rejected Bid
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage framing the move as an activist play suggests the situation may pressure eBay to consider strategic alternatives, which investors often view as potentially supportive for the share price. GameStop's eBay Deal Is Less An Acquisition Than An Activist Play
• Neutral Sentiment: Several additional articles repeated the same stake-building and takeover-speculation theme, amplifying attention around EBAY but adding little new fundamental information. GameStop Doubles Down On eBay Bid As Ryan Cohen Escalates Pursuit
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary called the bid confusing or skeptical, and noted Wall Street doubt about the strategy. That skepticism could limit enthusiasm if investors conclude the bid is unlikely to succeed. GameStop owns nearly 10% of eBay in confusing hostile takeover strategy

Analyst Ratings Changes

EBAY has been the topic of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of eBay from $117.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of eBay from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 26th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on shares of eBay from $97.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of eBay from $102.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, President Capital lifted their price objective on shares of eBay from $102.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $110.52.

eBay Price Performance

NASDAQ EBAY opened at $114.19 on Tuesday. eBay Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.12 and a twelve month high of $119.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.70 billion, a PE ratio of 25.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.37. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $99.63.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The e-commerce company reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.04 billion. eBay had a return on equity of 46.11% and a net margin of 17.58%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.38 EPS. eBay has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.090-1.140 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that eBay Inc. will post 4.87 EPS for the current year.

eBay Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were given a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. eBay's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.12%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 11,110 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.33, for a total value of $1,259,096.30. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 275,431 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,214,595.23. This trade represents a 3.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Jordan Douglas Bradle Sweetnam sold 863 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.17, for a total transaction of $94,213.71. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 34,533 shares in the company, valued at $3,769,967.61. This trade represents a 2.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 76,012 shares of company stock valued at $8,747,852. 0.67% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

eBay Profile

eBay Inc is a global e-commerce company that operates an online marketplace connecting individual consumers and businesses for the sale and purchase of new, used and collectible goods. Founded in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar and headquartered in San Jose, California, eBay grew from its early auction-style site into a diversified platform offering both auction-format listings and fixed-price "Buy It Now" transactions. The company completed an initial public offering in the late 1990s and has since evolved its platform and services to support a broad range of product categories and buyer preferences.

The company's core business centers on its marketplace platform, which provides listing, search and transaction capabilities for millions of items across consumer goods, electronics, fashion, collectibles and more.

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