Securian Asset Management Inc. Cuts Stock Position in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its position in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,743 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock after selling 1,302 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in eBay were worth $1,595,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of EBAY. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of eBay in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of eBay in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of eBay in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of eBay by 115.5% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 836 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of eBay by 37.8% in the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 839 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. 87.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

eBay Stock Performance

eBay stock opened at $64.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company has a market capitalization of $29.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.14, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.45. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $66.89 and its 200 day moving average is $64.33. eBay Inc. has a twelve month low of $48.52 and a twelve month high of $71.61.

eBay Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.81%. This is an increase from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. eBay’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.07%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 5,252 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total value of $334,184.76. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,080 shares in the company, valued at $4,141,040.40. This represents a 7.47 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Cornelius Boone sold 3,989 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.20, for a total value of $260,082.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 71,469 shares in the company, valued at $4,659,778.80. The trade was a 5.29 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,524 shares of company stock worth $1,390,509 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays set a $72.00 target price on eBay and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on eBay from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered eBay from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $60.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on eBay from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price target on eBay from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.54.

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.