eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Shares Purchased by ProVise Management Group LLC

ProVise Management Group LLC boosted its stake in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 144,599 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,958 shares during the quarter. ProVise Management Group LLC’s holdings in eBay were worth $8,958,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smithfield Trust Co grew its position in eBay by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 4,411 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $274,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC grew its position in eBay by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,488 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $216,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in eBay by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,417 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $150,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in eBay by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,226 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $262,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bailard Inc. grew its position in eBay by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 34,651 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $2,147,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at eBay

In other news, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 1,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.93, for a total transaction of $67,072.69. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,080 shares in the company, valued at $4,225,644.40. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 5,625 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 $35,709,615.50. This trade represents a 1.05 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 12,283 shares of company stock worth $796,241. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

eBay Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ EBAY opened at $65.24 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. eBay Inc. has a twelve month low of $48.52 and a twelve month high of $71.61. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $67.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $64.56. The stock has a market cap of $30.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.45.

eBay Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.78%. This is a boost from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. eBay’s payout ratio is currently 29.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on EBAY. Barclays set a $72.00 price objective on eBay and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Wedbush began coverage on eBay in a research report on Monday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $70.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised eBay from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on eBay from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on eBay from $59.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.