eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Stake Lessened by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. decreased its holdings in shares of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,341,802 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock after selling 129,165 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in eBay were worth $145,106,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rahlfs Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of eBay in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,041,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in eBay by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,266,355 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $78,451,000 after buying an additional 91,185 shares during the period. Aviva PLC lifted its position in eBay by 380.9% in the 4th quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 295,395 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $18,300,000 after buying an additional 233,964 shares in the last quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the fourth quarter worth $9,210,000. Finally, Smith Moore & CO. raised its stake in shares of eBay by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Smith Moore & CO. now owns 3,406 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $211,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. 87.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on EBAY shares. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of eBay from $66.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $72.00 price objective on shares of eBay in a report on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of eBay from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of eBay from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Barclays set a $72.00 price objective on eBay and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, eBay presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.46.

Insider Activity

In other eBay news, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 1,033 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.93, for a total transaction of $67,072.69. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,080 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,225,644.40. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 5,625 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.25, for a total transaction of $378,281.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 38,676 shares of company stock worth $2,613,807. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

eBay Stock Down 6.0 %

Shares of EBAY opened at $62.40 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $29.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.68, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.43. eBay Inc. has a one year low of $48.52 and a one year high of $71.61. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $67.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25.

eBay Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. eBay’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.07%.

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.