BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Cramer and eBay? Together at last.]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/12/07/cramer-and-ebay-together-at-last/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/12/07/cramer-and-ebay-together-at-last/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/12/07/cramer-and-ebay-together-at-last/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

jim cramer's sun shining on ebay?After first talking Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) higher on the first segment of CNBC's MAD MONEY, Cramer said it is time to put away grudges on stocks. He thinks it's time to recommend eBay, Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY).

He thinks even though it is run by Meg Whitman, has weak user trends, spent too much on Skype, and yada, yada, yada ...

Under $32.00 he likes it, and he said he can whip himself that it is up $9.00 from lows. He thinks it is still down 25% and now represents and "internet value stock." He said the bad news has been discounted into the shares. It trades under 26 times next year's earnings but growing at 21%.

He said Bear Stearns has it right. He thinks PayPal is still winning over Google's checkout. He likes the Shopping.com angle, and that eBay can now bring in new customers this way. He even went as far as to say that while he's been slamming Meg Whitman, that she has been wheeling & dealing, including a pact with Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO). He also likes the recent deal with Baidu.com that started in November.

He likes ratios, with no debt, and says the company has been hoarding cash, with $3.2B in the coffers. eBay closed down 2.7% at $31.30 in normal trading, but is up at $32.05 after the comments.

Do you think Cramer will auction off a dinner with himself like Warren Buffett did?

Cramer and eBay? Together at last. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ceocnbccramerebayebay ceoEbayCeojim cramerJimCramermad moneyMadMoneymegmeg whitmanMegWhitmanpaypalskypewhitmanThu, 07 Dec 2006 18:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Building eBay 2.0: Whitman and Donahoe on eBay's future]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/10/04/building-ebay-2-0-whitman-and-donahoe-on-ebays-future/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/10/04/building-ebay-2-0-whitman-and-donahoe-on-ebays-future/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/10/04/building-ebay-2-0-whitman-and-donahoe-on-ebays-future/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Back in August, I suggested that we should perhaps start looking at eBay differently. It is a mature company, I argued, and hence would probably require different valuation methods, lower multiples, etc. At the same time, I noted, the market has a tendency to get there naturally.

Today, Fortune ran a fascinating article about eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), the issues it is facing and its management team. The article naturally focuses on eBay's CEO, Meg Whitman, and on eBay's new president of its marketplaces business, John Donahoe, believed to be Whitman's successor.

eBay's share price has been halved from its December 2004 high of $59, as investors are concerned mostly with the slowing growth rates. While growth rates have been most concerning in eBay's core auction business, the Skype acquisition is also a focus, especially as the promised synergies haven't materialized yet. There is also the fierce competition in Asia, and let's not forget, several key people leaving.

Many note, quite accurately too, that eBay is a highly profitable company with enviable operating margins and still high growth. But most, even eBay's management, realize that the company is changing as it is entering the "grownup" realm of large and mature corporations, where size and age could potentially drag it down.

Continue reading Building eBay 2.0: Whitman and Donahoe on eBay's future

Building eBay 2.0: Whitman and Donahoe on eBay's future originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Oct 2006 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ceodonahoeebayebay ceoEbayCeofortunemeg whitmanMegWhitmanpaypalskypesuccessionwhitmanWed, 04 Oct 2006 12:10:00 EST<![CDATA[PayPal's brain drain: is it a signal of bigger problems at eBay?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/07/13/paypals-brain-drain-is-it-a-signal-of-bigger-problems-at-ebay/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/07/13/paypals-brain-drain-is-it-a-signal-of-bigger-problems-at-ebay/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/07/13/paypals-brain-drain-is-it-a-signal-of-bigger-problems-at-ebay/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

is paypal without jeff jordan losing its magic?A few months ago, I started wondering about eBay's chief executive, Meg Whitman. It occurred to me that her tenure was growing old, and I speculated about whether she might step down in the next 12-18 months.

Today, I'm even more concerned about eBay's management team. The company has been rapidly losing all the bright stars who shone in my investing galaxy when I first decided to buy eBay back in 2000. Forbes has an illuminating look at the brain drain at PayPal, recently capped off by news that Jeff Jordan would be stepping down "for family reasons." Jordan, an executive that I met a few years before he took over as CEO of PayPal, is a charismatic, slick, management consultant type: in short, exactly the sort of person Meg has always preferred. As she said in her statement regarding his departure, Jordan is a friend.

Jeff Jordan's not the only friend Meg Whitman has lost. Maynard Webb, her longtime friend and eBay COO, retires next month, as I noted earlier. It's hard to say whether the other PayPal execs mentioned in the Forbes article had time to become friendly with Meg, but it's certain that their departure can't be a good thing. Instead of infusing life into eBay, they're out setting trends and making news at companies like YouTube (Chad Hurley), Slide (Max Levchin) and LinkedIn (Reid Hoffman), or directing oodles of money at hedge funds and venture capital firms.

Continue reading PayPal's brain drain: is it a signal of bigger problems at eBay?

PayPal's brain drain: is it a signal of bigger problems at eBay? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jul 2006 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ebayebay ceoEbayCeojeff jordanJeffJordanjordanmegmeg whitmanMegWhitmanpaypalpaypal ceoPaypalCeowhitmanThu, 13 Jul 2006 19:05:00 EST<![CDATA[eBay diving into net neutrality: the million-member email]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/06/02/ebay-diving-into-net-neutrality-the-million-member-email/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/06/02/ebay-diving-into-net-neutrality-the-million-member-email/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/06/02/ebay-diving-into-net-neutrality-the-million-member-email/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

email from megMeg Whitman swung the massive club of her one million-plus eBay membership today, calling on each of them individually to get involved in the net neutrality debate in a personally-addressed email. She argued against the doctrine of "pay to play" to use the "fast lane" of the internet and said, "The bottom tier -- the slow lane -- would be what is left for everyone else. If the fast lane is the information 'super-highway,' the slow lane will operate more like a dirt road." Her missive asked each member to follow a link to send an email to their congressperson.

The debate, which pitches the internet backbone providers (like Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner's cable unit) against the biggest bandwidth users (like eBay, Google, Amazon.com, Microsoft and Yahoo!) is growing more bitter by the minute. Whitman's atypical move of sending email to her many members is seen as an unconventional approach in a battle that, to date, has failed to explain itself well to voters; although investors, certainly, can understand that the potential for huge profits hang in the balance.

eBay diving into net neutrality: the million-member email originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jun 2006 18:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ceoebayebay ceoebay emailEbayCeoEbayEmailmegmeg whitmanMegWhitmannet neutralityNetNeutralityneutralitywhitmanFri, 02 Jun 2006 18:43:00 EST<![CDATA[eBay after the bell 05-04-06: Meg promises much, investors unimpressed]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/05/04/ebay-after-the-bell-05-04-06-meg-promises-much-investors-unimp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/05/04/ebay-after-the-bell-05-04-06-meg-promises-much-investors-unimp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/05/04/ebay-after-the-bell-05-04-06-meg-promises-much-investors-unimp/#commentsFiled under: , ,

ebay chart 05-04-06The big news today from eBay's analyst day was that Meg Whitman was promising: now, with even more revenue growth! Her presentation, and that of the other executives from eBay proper, PayPal and Skype, were really great. Evidently, either (a) you investors weren't watching or (b) without the analysts to tell you if it was good, you weren't ready to pull the trigger. After all, if a company talks to the analysts through market close, how can they affect the market? The stock was down a teeny bit, six cents, to $34.11, on a bit better-than-average volume.

Well. If you were online with me, you were armed with more info (you know, to toot my own horn, and all). I filled you in about eBay's view of their craigslist investment; how they planned to create synergies with Skype; how proud was the company of their 7% of worldwide long distance minutes; how PayPal will soon let you buy used books at your neighbor's yard sale with your mobile phone; and how $3 billion in cash was withdrawn from ATMs via PayPal debit cards. If I had to pick one thing I came away from those hours of watching Meg & team present (I mean, something substantial... I could go on forever about fashion choices but this isn't the style blog) it was that they really believe in their vision and they are fantastic at describing it. I was feeling a little scared off by the stock's rich price, but after listening to Meg, Bob, and the Skype and PayPal execs tell me about how they're going to change the world? Boy do I want to be along for the ride.

Continue reading eBay after the bell 05-04-06: Meg promises much, investors unimpressed

eBay after the bell 05-04-06: Meg promises much, investors unimpressed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 May 2006 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>$34.1105-03-0605-04-06after the bellAfterTheBellanalyst dayat the bellAtTheBellceoceo meg whitmanCeoMegWhitmanclosing bellClosingBellebayebay 05-04-06ebay after the bellebay analystebay analyst dayebay ceoebay closing bellebay endedebay wrapupEbay05-04-06EbayAfterTheBellebayanalystdayEbayCeoEbayClosingBellEbayEndedEbayWrapupend of dayEndOfDaylivelive bloggingmegmeg whitmanMegWhitmanpaypalskypewhitmanwrapupThu, 04 May 2006 19:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Are Meg Whitman's days at eBay numbered?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/05/02/are-meg-whitmans-days-at-ebay-numbered/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/05/02/are-meg-whitmans-days-at-ebay-numbered/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/05/02/are-meg-whitmans-days-at-ebay-numbered/#commentsFiled under: ,

Meg Whitman is at the top of her game. She's been named one of Forbes' top five Most Powerful Women, one of Time's Digital 50, Salon calls hers one of their fave "Brilliant Careers" and Business Week calls her an Empire Builder. In short, she rocks the board room with her underplayed charm and woman-of-the-people management style. With her at the helm, eBay has gone from little company that could to one of the biggest economies anywhere.

And now. Right about the time her hand-picked COO, Maynard Webb, retires this August, Meg will turn 50. She has already been at this CEO job for eight years (equal, it should be noted, with her longest tenure ever at a job up until now), rebuffing the opportunity to be CEO of Disney and (one would imagine) any number of less-well-publicized overtures.

When I saw the news about Maynard's retirement, I thought, boy Meg has been at this job forever. And, hasn't she about done all she set out to do? And naturally, the next thing I wondered was, how long until Meg hands in her resignation? I predict it won't be long.

Continue reading Are Meg Whitman's days at eBay numbered?

Are Meg Whitman's days at eBay numbered? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 May 2006 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ceoceo ebayCeoEbayebay ceoEbayCeoleaving ebayLeavingEbaymaynard webbMaynardWebbmegmeg at ebaymeg whitmanmeg whitman leaving ebaymeg whitman moving onmeg whitman quittingMegAtEbayMegWhitmanMegWhitmanLeavingEbayMegWhitmanMovingOnMegWhitmanQuittingretireretirementretiringwebbTue, 02 May 2006 20:09:00 EST