J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Grows Holdings in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)

Key Points

• J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG has significantly increased its stake in eBay Inc. by acquiring 34,419 shares, bringing its total holdings to 42,849 shares, valued at approximately $2.9 million.
• Insider selling occurred recently, with SVP Julie A. Loeger selling 127,070 shares for over $8.8 million, representing a 50.76% decrease in her position.
• eBay declared a quarterly dividend of $0.29 per share, with an ex-dividend date set for August 29, representing a 1.3% yield and reflecting a payout ratio of 25.55%.

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG increased its position in shares of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY - Free Report) by 408.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,849 shares of the e-commerce company's stock after acquiring an additional 34,419 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG's holdings in eBay were worth $2,902,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of EBAY. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of eBay in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of eBay in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of eBay in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of eBay in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Transce3nd LLC purchased a new stake in shares of eBay in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 87.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at eBay

In other news, SVP Jordan Douglas Bradle Sweetnam sold 22,206 shares of eBay stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.90, for a total transaction of $1,729,847.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Cornelius Boone sold 2,985 shares of eBay stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.67, for a total transaction of $234,829.95. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 92,053 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,241,809.51. The trade was a 3.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 327,222 shares of company stock valued at $23,765,622. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

eBay Trading Down 1.8%

EBAY stock traded down $1.65 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $91.21. The company had a trading volume of 1,092,994 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,589,104. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company has a market capitalization of $42.05 billion, a PE ratio of 20.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $77.84 and a 200 day moving average of $70.95. eBay Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.56 and a 12 month high of $93.46.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The e-commerce company reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.07. eBay had a net margin of 20.86% and a return on equity of 38.97%. The firm had revenue of $2.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.18 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that eBay Inc. will post 3.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

eBay Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. eBay's payout ratio is presently 25.55%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on EBAY shares. Citizens Jmp upgraded eBay to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Daiwa America raised eBay from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on eBay from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Benchmark increased their price objective on eBay from $78.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on eBay from $80.00 to $79.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, eBay presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $77.69.

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.