eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Short Interest Update

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 22,950,000 shares, an increase of 30.7% from the February 28th total of 17,560,000 shares. Currently, 4.9% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 5,200,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.4 days.

eBay Stock Up 0.5 %

NASDAQ:EBAY traded up $0.34 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $67.50. The stock had a trading volume of 2,563,843 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,848,325. eBay has a twelve month low of $48.52 and a twelve month high of $71.61. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company has a market capitalization of $31.46 billion, a PE ratio of 17.00, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.45.

eBay Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is a boost from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. eBay’s payout ratio is 29.07%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 5,625 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.25, for a total value of $378,281.25. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 530,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $35,709,615.50. This represents a 1.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 1,033 shares of eBay stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.93, for a total transaction of $67,072.69. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 65,080 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,225,644.40. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 16,241 shares of company stock valued at $1,061,665. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of eBay

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of eBay by 47.3% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 77,357 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $4,792,000 after acquiring an additional 24,840 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC purchased a new position in eBay in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in eBay during the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Ascent Group LLC lifted its position in shares of eBay by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 13,450 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $833,000 after buying an additional 1,024 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of eBay by 17.4% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 105,665 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $6,546,000 after buying an additional 15,639 shares in the last quarter. 87.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of eBay from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on eBay from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of eBay from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of eBay from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “equal weight” rating on shares of eBay in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.54.

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.