eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 22,300,000 shares, a growth of 11.6% from the November 15th total of 19,980,000 shares. Approximately 4.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 4,750,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.7 days.

eBay Stock Performance

eBay stock opened at $63.84 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $63.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.14. 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 company has a market cap of $30.58 billion, a PE ratio of 16.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.35. eBay has a twelve month low of $40.16 and a twelve month high of $67.80.

eBay Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. eBay’s payout ratio is currently 27.14%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 1,167 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.63, for a total transaction of $77,757.21. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 65,079 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,336,213.77. This represents a 1.76 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Cornelius Boone sold 3,974 shares of eBay stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.61, for a total transaction of $256,760.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 70,113 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,530,000.93. This trade represents a 5.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 52,641 shares of company stock worth $3,370,974. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On eBay

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EBAY. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in eBay by 17.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 25,964,196 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $1,394,797,000 after buying an additional 3,880,649 shares during the period. Mirova US LLC lifted its holdings in shares of eBay by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Mirova US LLC now owns 9,170,829 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $492,657,000 after acquiring an additional 189,505 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of eBay by 12.5% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,536,843 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $404,879,000 after purchasing an additional 838,969 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in eBay by 8.6% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,723,503 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $361,159,000 after purchasing an additional 530,941 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management raised its position in eBay by 22.2% in the 2nd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 6,705,345 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $360,211,000 after purchasing an additional 1,216,885 shares during the period. 87.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on EBAY. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of eBay from $46.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Wedbush assumed coverage on shares of eBay in a research report on Monday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $70.00 price objective on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $62.00 target price on shares of eBay in a report on Monday, October 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of eBay from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $60.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on eBay from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, eBay has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $62.63.

eBay Company 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.