Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Invests $7.27 Million in eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in shares of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 117,291 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,266,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of eBay by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 53,580 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $3,489,000 after purchasing an additional 1,063 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of eBay by 172.5% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 11,175 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $692,000 after purchasing an additional 7,074 shares in the last quarter. Trustmark National Bank Trust Department bought a new stake in eBay in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,307,000. Prospera Financial Services Inc lifted its position in eBay by 794.2% in the 3rd quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 70,616 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $4,598,000 after buying an additional 62,719 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in eBay by 5,091.9% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 142,051 shares of the e-commerce company’s stock worth $8,800,000 after buying an additional 139,315 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Stephen J. Priest sold 1,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.93, for a total value of $67,072.69. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 65,080 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,225,644.40. This represents a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Jamie Iannone sold 5,625 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.38, for a total value 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 approximately $33,825,430.24. This represents a 1.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 12,283 shares of company stock valued at $796,241 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on eBay from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on eBay from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Barclays set a $72.00 target price on eBay and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. JMP Securities restated a “market perform” rating on shares of eBay in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their target price on eBay from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock 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 issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.54.

eBay Price Performance

Shares of eBay stock opened at $65.24 on Wednesday. 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 cap of $30.40 billion, a PE ratio of 16.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.45. The business has a 50 day moving average of $67.10 and a 200 day moving average of $64.56. eBay Inc. has a 52 week low of $48.52 and a 52 week high of $71.61.

eBay Increases Dividend

The company 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. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. This is a boost from eBay’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. 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.