Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Raises Stake in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC boosted its holdings in shares of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 186,338 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock after buying an additional 7,548 shares during the quarter. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in eBay were worth $8,128,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in EBAY. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of eBay during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in eBay during the third quarter valued at $46,000. Cambridge Trust Co. increased its holdings in eBay by 135.0% in the fourth quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 1,175 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 675 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of eBay in the third quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the 3rd quarter worth about $71,000. 87.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

eBay Trading Up 0.5 %

NASDAQ EBAY traded up $0.26 during trading on Friday, hitting $49.65. The stock had a trading volume of 6,896,723 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,298,042. The company has a market capitalization of $25.14 billion, a PE ratio of 9.89, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.31. eBay Inc. has a twelve month low of $37.17 and a twelve month high of $52.93. The company has a quick ratio of 2.44, a current ratio of 1.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $50.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.86.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The e-commerce company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.05. eBay had a net margin of 25.97% and a return on equity of 29.11%. The firm had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that eBay Inc. will post 3.75 earnings per share for the current year.

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

eBay Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 14th. Investors of record on Friday, May 31st will be issued a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 30th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.18%. eBay’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Edward O. Garcia sold 1,165 shares of the firm’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 sale, the senior vice president now owns 31,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,372,140.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on eBay from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on eBay from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Susquehanna lifted their price target on eBay from $43.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of eBay from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, eBay has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $51.35.

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.