eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) Stock Rating Upgraded by Morgan Stanley

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) was upgraded by analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of eBay from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of eBay from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of eBay from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of eBay in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They set a “sell” rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of eBay from $49.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.21.

eBay Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of EBAY stock traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $51.17. The stock had a trading volume of 1,282,295 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,384,688. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $49.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.33. eBay has a 52-week low of $37.17 and a 52-week high of $52.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.51 billion, a PE ratio of 9.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The e-commerce company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $2.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that eBay will post 3.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

eBay declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 27th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the e-commerce company to reacquire up to 8.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at eBay

In other news, SVP Edward O. Garcia sold 1,165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.03, for a total value of $50,129.95. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 31,888 shares in the company, valued at $1,372,140.64. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CVA Family Office LLC bought a new position in eBay during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. American National Bank lifted its position in eBay by 200.0% during the first quarter. American National Bank now owns 600 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in eBay by 73.5% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 732 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in eBay during the first quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in eBay during the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Institutional investors own 87.48% of the company’s stock.

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.