Shares of online retailer eBay Corp. (EBAY) traded sharply higher in after-hours trading following a stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report this afternoon.

The company reported earnings of 52 cents per share, beating the 47 cents that analysts had been expecting to see. During the same period last year the company had earnings of 44 cents.

Continue reading eBay Surges After Hours on Strong Earnings and Bullish Forecast

eBay Surges After Hours on Strong Earnings and Bullish Forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Where is eBay (EBAY) going these days? Sure, the online auctioneer has the same brand power it's had for years, but the transition to bulk discounter from garage-sale auction house hasn't really occurred like CEO John Donahoe wanted it to.

Instead, we see eBay's marketplace still filled with one-off auctions for all kinds of goods (and junk trading hands) along with thousands of Chinese-based bulk sellers selling everything for a few dollars each.

Continue reading eBay's Turnaround Stalls, Along with Stock's Upward Mobility

eBay's Turnaround Stalls, Along with Stock's Upward Mobility originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) announced Tuesday it has reached a deal to sell most of its stake in Skype in a deal that values the online telecommunications service at $2.75 billion. eBay will get $1.9 billion in cash and a $125 million note from the buyer.

An investment group led by the private-equity firm Silver Lake, including Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, will buy the 65% stake in the company. eBay, which will retain a 35% stake, expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter of this year.

Continue reading eBay strikes a good deal on its Skype sale

eBay strikes a good deal on its Skype sale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It looks like Skype is going to wind up with a new owner. Internet auction company eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) owns Skype now but is said to be selling the online telephony provider to private investors.

Andreessen Horowitz, a recently formed venture capital fund with Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen at the helm, is said to be a likely participant in a transaction. Index Ventures of London and Silver Lake Partners are also rumored to be involved.

Continue reading eBay may be selling Skype -- can it get what it wants?

eBay may be selling Skype -- can it get what it wants? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading eBay jumps following first quarter earnings

eBay jumps following first quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's universally believed that eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) overpaid badly for its $3.1 billion acquisition of Skype, a revolutionary online phone company that, regardless of how cool it happens to be, doesn't generate a lot of income or fit with eBay's core business in any meaningful way.

When Meg Whitman retired as CEO, John Donahoe replaced her and has said repeatedly that he is open to selling Skype.

Continue reading Skype founders look to make a deal with eBay

Skype founders look to make a deal with eBay originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There could be an opportunity to tweak the way we pay CEOs of big public companies. I hope this doesn't sound too harsh. But when you consider that the average 2008 compensation for the 10 highest paid public company CEOs was $40.7 million, while their companies lost half, or $30 billion, worth of their stock market value -- I wonder whether some change may be in order.

The year 2008 put a big exclamation mark on, hopefully, the end of an eight-year sentence of stabbing common shareholders in the back. Of the 10 highest paid CEOs, here are the four who destroyed the most stock market value while getting well above average pay. The companies are listed in descending order of the percentage destruction in stock market value, along with the CEO's 2008 compensation and loss in stock market capitalization:

• Citigroup (NYSE: C) paid CEO Vikram Pandit $38.2 million while its stock fell 78% destroying $124 billion in stock market value
• Motorola (NYSE: MOT) CEO Sanjay Jha made $104 million while overseeing a 75% stock plunge which wiped out $27.9 billion in stock market value

Continue reading Pay for performance? Try pay for failure: CEOs paid millions to lose billions

Pay for performance? Try pay for failure: CEOs paid millions to lose billions originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In my view, eBay's feedback system is broken. It sometimes becomes a tool of unwarranted attacks. Unsavory characters sometimes use it to extort compliance from unseasoned and defenseless buyers. This needs to be stopped. Please put some of your best people on this concern so it may be resolved. It's an issue of trust sir, and must be corrected for the health of the market place.

When considering changes in fee structure, could you do the sellers just one small benefit? Could you make it so the sellers get to keep a bit more of the profit from their work? It is understood that eBay as a corporation is in business to make money and I believe the sellers do honestly respect that. However, I assume that they also are in business to make money, please respect that position in kind. I believe that if you can see your way clear to letting the sellers keep a bit more of the profits, they in turn shall increase their presence in the market place. I'd expect that they'd gladly give you record breaking volume when given the proper incentive to do exactly that.

Continue reading A letter to John Donahoe at eBay

A letter to John Donahoe at eBay originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading New eBay CEO John Donahoe looks to make a quick impression

New eBay CEO John Donahoe looks to make a quick impression originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading eBay falls on weak forecast, CEO Meg Whitman steps down

eBay falls on weak forecast, CEO Meg Whitman steps down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting [subscription required] that eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) CEO Meg Whitman could be preparing to retire, possibly within the next few weeks.

John Donahoe, who has been president of eBay's auction business since 2005, is sought to be the most likely candidate to succeed Ms. Whitman, who has been CEO for nearly 10 years.

Overall, Ms. Whitman has done an admirable job as CEO of the company, as evidenced by the stock's strong performance since its IPO. But over the past five years, shares of eBay have provided essentially flat performance as the company struggles to find ways to deal with slowing growth in the auction business.

Shortly after joining the company, Whitman said that no CEO should stay more than 10 years because a fresh perspective is needed at that point. With her 10 year anniversary approaching in March, she could be staying true to her word.

If she does in fact retire, look for her to stay active working on the presidential bid of Mitt Romney, whom she worked with at Bain Capital.

eBay CEO Meg Whitman reportedly set to retire originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.