eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Shares Acquired by Smead Capital Management Inc.

Smead Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY - Free Report) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,270,059 shares of the e-commerce company's stock after acquiring an additional 22,959 shares during the quarter. eBay comprises about 2.6% of Smead Capital Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Smead Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.63% of eBay worth $142,640,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of EBAY. CVA Family Office LLC bought a new stake in eBay during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Gyon Technologies Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Almanack Investment Partners LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. 87.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

eBay Price Performance

Shares of EBAY stock traded up $0.50 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $49.95. The company had a trading volume of 7,588,631 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,513,011. eBay Inc. has a 52-week low of $37.17 and a 52-week high of $52.93. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $48.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $44.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 2.44 and a quick ratio of 2.44. The company has a market capitalization of $25.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.33.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The e-commerce company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.04. eBay had a net margin of 27.36% and a return on equity of 29.16%. The firm had revenue of $2.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.87 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that eBay Inc. will post 3.69 earnings per share for the current year.

eBay declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 27th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the e-commerce company to buy up to 8.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

eBay Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 25th. Investors of record on Monday, March 11th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is an increase from eBay's previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 8th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.16%. eBay's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.69%.

Insider Activity at eBay

In related news, SVP Edward O. Garcia sold 1,165 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.21% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on EBAY. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of eBay in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They set a "sell" rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of eBay from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of eBay from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of eBay from $43.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of eBay from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $49.21.

eBay 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.