eBay Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:EBAY)

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock traders purchased 17,877 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 49% compared to the average volume of 11,979 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at eBay

In related 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 value of $67,072.69. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,080 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,225,644.40. This trade represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 5,625 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 530,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $35,709,615.50. The trade was a 1.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,524 shares of company stock valued at $1,390,509 in the last 90 days. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On eBay

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EBAY. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of eBay in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of eBay in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Pinney & Scofield Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of eBay during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in eBay in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new position in eBay during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.48% of the company’s stock.

eBay Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:EBAY traded down $1.18 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $69.33. The stock had a trading volume of 3,818,642 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,829,287. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $66.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.21. The company has a market capitalization of $32.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. eBay has a fifty-two week low of $48.52 and a fifty-two week high of $71.61.

eBay Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.67%. This is a boost from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. eBay’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on EBAY shares. Barclays set a $72.00 price objective on shares of eBay and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered eBay from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $60.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Wedbush initiated coverage on eBay in a research report on Monday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $70.00 target price for the company. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of eBay from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of eBay from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average 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.