eBay, Incorporated (EBAY)
Company Information
John J. Donahoe, Director/CEO/President
2145 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125
US
Map it ![]()
Phone: (408) 376-7400
Fax: (408) 558-7401
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Philanthropist Pierre Omidyar Q and AOct 15 2008
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Trickle-Down EconomicsOct 10 2008
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Carrying a Torch for Olympic GearAug 07 2008
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A Legal Knock-OffJul 14 2008
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Amazon, Ebay Test Legal WatersJun 17 2008
Portfolio.com Overview
WHERE THEY CAME FROM
When Pierre Omidyar launched AuctionWeb in 1995, the first item up for bid was a broken laser pointer, which sold for about $14. As the story goes, Omidyar called the buyer and reminded him that the laser pointer was broken. The buyer replied that he was a “collector of broken laser pointers.” A company name change and backing from venture firm Benchmark Capital followed, and the newly minted eBay quickly became an international phenomenon.
WHAT THEY DO
eBay has made billions by making it possible for people to buy and sell just about anything over the internet, from bizarre collectibles to used cosmetics to new cars. (In one of the stranger auctions, a Florida woman sold a grilled cheese sandwich for $28,000, claiming it bore the image of the Virgin Mary.) To keep its 220 million users honest, eBay pioneered a rating system based on buyer and seller feedback.
The acquisition-happy company also owns other related Web properties, including comparison-shopping site Shopping.com; online-payment service PayPal; internet-telephone service Skype; and Half.com, a marketplace for books, movies, and music that competes with Amazon.
WHAT THEY GOT RIGHT
The greatest success of eBay has been its growth. In 1998, eBay earned $47 million in revenue; in 2006, it generated nearly $6 billion. Despite early technological problems (including a 1999 computer crash that shut down eBay’s service for 22 hours and cost the company an estimated $4 million in lost fees), eBay has seemed unstoppable, maintaining a strong growth curve—even throughout the dotcom crash. That steady incline once led chief executive
Meg Whitman to remark that eBay’s community of users were running the company so well that “a monkey could drive this train.”
WHAT THEY NEED TO FIX
Revenue jumped 31 percent in 2006, but eBay’s growth in the U.S. has slowed in the past few years, a trend that has rattled investors and lowered the company’s stock price. Though nearly half of eBay’s revenue is now generated outside the U.S., competition is mounting abroad. Yahoo in particular runs an online auction service in Japan and owns stakes in South Korean auction company Gmarket and Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba. Also, PayPal is facing pressure from Google Checkout, another online-payment service.
In 2006, in response to falling share prices, Whitman instituted a “rebalancing” plan: Fee hikes were implemented at eBay Stores (those customized sites where sellers can display all their goods) to improve the quality of products offered, or, as she put it, to inject the “magic” back into eBay. That effort seems to have worked, as it raised the value of both eBay’s goods and its shares.
Critics remain skeptical of the $2.6 billion acquisition of Skype that eBay completed in 2005. Skype’s revenue has not grown as quickly as eBay predicted it would, and eBay is only beginning to integrate Skype’s services into its main site.
WHAT’S NEXT
In 2007, expect the company to continue courting China’s 130 million-plus internet users. In one of several initiatives, eBay is partnering with Tom Online, a Chinese wireless-internet company, for a new auction site aimed at mobile-phone consumers. eBay also hopes to boost its revenue by combining Skype with its auction and PayPal services—allowing users to call each other with a simple click of the keys. —Clancy Nolan
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Philanthropist Pierre Omidyar Q and A
The billionaire founder of the world's most successful auction site says he wants to lead by example in his giving.
Oct 15 2008 -
Trickle-Down Economics
Crisis takes aim at media giants News Corp. and Viacom, which expect ad revenues to take a dive.
Oct 10 2008 -
Carrying a Torch for Olympic Gear
Stamps and pins are small game for Olympics collectors; the big money is in medals, torches, and victors' sweat stains.
Aug 07 2008 -
A Legal Knock-Off
In trademark dispute with Tiffany, eBay wins one for real.Jul 14 2008 -
Amazon, Ebay Test Legal Waters
Amazon and EBay test questionable strategy overseas, instead of the U.S.Jun 17 2008
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Mass. auctions off abandoned property on eBay
AP
Dec 01 2008
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Final Glance: Internet companies
AP
Dec 01 2008
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Midday Glance: Internet companies
AP
Dec 01 2008
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Standard & Poor's assigns eBay an 'A-' debt rating
AP
Dec 01 2008
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Web retailers Amazon, eBay down on Cyber Monday
Reuters
Dec 01 2008
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Early Glance: Internet companies
AP
Dec 01 2008
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Ahead of the Bell: Analysts see flat online sales
AP
Dec 01 2008
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Online retailers ramp up deals to capture dollars
AP
Nov 28 2008
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Sector Snap: Internet companies mixed
AP
Nov 24 2008
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In need of cash, states auction goods online
AP
Nov 21 2008
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Ebay's Mass Layoffs and Shopping Spree
Oct 06 2008
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First Bytes: Verizon, Alltel, Myspace, eBay, Ask.com
Oct 06 2008
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eBay Companies See Black Friday Shoppers Clicking for Great Deals Nov-29-2008, 02:37PM EST
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StubHub FanStats(SM) - 2008 Top 25 College Football Rivalry Rankings Nov-25-2008, 04:06PM EST
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PayPal Introduces Mobile Access for the PayPal Security Key Nov-24-2008, 09:00AM EST
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Only on eBay This Holiday, a Dollar Buys a New Car and More Nov-24-2008, 03:01AM EST
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StubHub FanStats(SM) -- 2008 Top 25 College Football Rivalry Rankings Nov-18-2008, 11:07AM EST
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Microsoft Tries to Right Live Search Cashback
(PC Magazine)Dec 02 2008 -
Richo's Mo banned by Ebay
(The Age, Australia)Dec 02 2008 -
Make sure you’re giving safe toys this season
(Lawrence Journal-World, Kansas)Dec 02 2008 -
Learn how to simplify your shopping
(Daily Pilot, California)Dec 02 2008 -
Aerocar No. 2 put on eBay
(Private Air Daily)Dec 01 2008 -
Final Glance: Internet companies
(Boston Globe)Dec 01 2008 -
Meet the chef who'll cook your Chtistmas lunch - as he auctions his services on eBay
(Daily Mail, UK)Dec 01 2008 -
Cyber Monday Preview: More Deal...
(FOX 32 Chicago (WFLD))Dec 01 2008 -
Online retailers ramp up deals to capture dollars
(Chippewa Herald, Wisconsin)Nov 30 2008
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Who Didn't Think We Were In A Recession?
(alarm:clock)Dec 02 2008 -
Fat Pitch Financials Portfolio November 2008 Update
(Fat Pitch Financials)Dec 01 2008 -
Microsoft Brags Xbox Beat The PS3 3-to-1 In Black Friday Sales, Pretends The Wii Doesn't Exist (MSFT)
(Silicon Alley Insider)Dec 01 2008 -
Vuvox Brings Rich Slideshows To eBay Auctions
(TechCrunch)Dec 01 2008 -
Hello Arcade Machine [Note]
(Kotaku)Dec 01 2008
Employees
Top Executives
Board of Directors
Financials
| Income Statement | 10/2008 | 07/2008 | 04/2008 | 01/2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 435.1 Mil. | 443.66 Mil. | 414.27 Mil. | 399.47 Mil. |
| Gross Operating Profit | 1.68 Bil. | 1.75 Bil. | 1.78 Bil. | 1.78 Bil. |
| Operating Income before D & A (EBITDA) | 702.65 Mil. | 718.73 Mil. | 718.76 Mil. | 785.96 Mil. |
| Total Income Before Interest Expenses (EBIT) | 562.63 Mil. | 568.75 Mil. | 582.39 Mil. | 678.06 Mil. |
| Total Net Income | 492.22 Mil. | 460.34 Mil. | 459.72 Mil. | 530.89 Mil. |
| Basic EPS, Total | 0.38 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.39 |
| Diluted EPS, Total | 0.38 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.39 |
| BALANCE STATEMENT | 10/2008 | 07/2008 | 04/2008 | 01/2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and Equivalents | 3.34 Bil. | 3.7 Bil. | 3.57 Bil. | 4.22 Bil. |
| Total Assets | 6.01 Bil. | 6.52 Bil. | 6.46 Bil. | 7.12 Bil. |
| Total Liabilities | 2.85 Bil. | 3.01 Bil. | 3.08 Bil. | 3.1 Bil. |
| Total Capitalization | 10.69 Bil. | 11.37 Bil. | 11.36 Bil. | 15.37 Bil. |
| Cash Flow | 10/2008 | 07/2008 | 04/2008 | 01/2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Cash From Continuing Operations | 2.2 Bil. | 1.5 Bil. | 766.27 Mil. | 2.64 Bil. |
| Net Cash From Investing Activities | -682.91 Mil. | -457.82 Mil. | -334.17 Mil. | -693.15 Mil. |
| Net Cash From Financing Activities | -2.28 Bil. | -1.67 Bil. | -1.18 Bil. | -693.39 Mil. |
| Net Change in Cash & Cash Equivalents | -878.47 Mil. | -525.16 Mil. | -656.01 Mil. | 1.56 Bil. |
| Income Statement | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 1.37 Bil. | 909.32 Mil. | 537.11 Mil. | 420.82 Mil. |
| Gross Operating Profit | 6.31 Bil. | 5.06 Bil. | 4 Bil. | 2.83 Bil. |
| Operating Income before D & A (EBITDA) | 2.61 Bil. | 1.97 Bil. | 1.85 Bil. | 1.32 Bil. |
| Total Income Before Interest Expenses (EBIT) | 767.45 Mil. | 1.55 Bil. | 1.55 Bil. | 1.14 Bil. |
| Total Net Income | 348.25 Mil. | 1.13 Bil. | 1.08 Bil. | 778.22 Mil. |
| Basic EPS, Total | 0.26 | 0.8 | 0.79 | 0.59 |
| Diluted EPS, Total | 0.25 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.57 |
| BALANCE STATEMENT | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and Equivalents | 4.22 Bil. | 2.66 Bil. | 1.31 Bil. | 1.33 Bil. |
| Total Assets | 7.12 Bil. | 4.97 Bil. | 3.18 Bil. | 2.91 Bil. |
| Total Liabilities | 3.1 Bil. | 2.52 Bil. | 1.48 Bil. | 1.08 Bil. |
| Total Capitalization | 15.37 Bil. | 10.9 Bil. | 10.05 Bil. | 6.73 Bil. |
| Cash Flow | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Cash From Continuing Operations | 2.64 Bil. | 2.25 Bil. | 2.01 Bil. | 1.29 Bil. |
| Net Cash From Investing Activities | -693.15 Mil. | 228.85 Mil. | -2.45 Bil. | -2.01 Bil. |
| Net Cash From Financing Activities | -693.39 Mil. | -1.26 Bil. | 471.61 Mil. | 647.67 Mil. |
| Net Change in Cash & Cash Equivalents | 1.56 Bil. | 1.35 Bil. | -16.46 Mil. | -51.47 Mil. |
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