Erste Asset Management GmbH Grows Stock Holdings in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)

Erste Asset Management GmbH lifted its position in shares of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) by 168.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 72,183 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock after purchasing an additional 45,300 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in eBay were worth $4,590,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of eBay during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in eBay in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in eBay by 115.5% in the fourth 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 position in eBay by 37.8% in the fourth 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 owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other eBay news, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 5,252 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total transaction of $334,184.76. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 65,080 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,141,040.40. This represents a 7.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 5,625 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.38, for a total transaction of $350,887.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 542,248 shares in the company, valued at $33,825,430.24. This trade represents a 1.03 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,524 shares of company stock worth $1,390,509. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EBAY has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of eBay from $66.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of eBay from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of eBay from $59.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of eBay from $72.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of eBay from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.54.

eBay Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of EBAY opened at $65.28 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $66.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.37. eBay Inc. has a twelve month low of $48.52 and a twelve month high of $71.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.40, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.45.

eBay Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is a positive change from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. eBay’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.07%.

About eBay

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.