eBay Reports Strong Quarterly Results Exceeding Expectations
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 19 2026
0mins
Should l Buy EBAY?
Source: Benzinga
- Strong Performance: eBay reported quarterly GMV (Gross Merchandise Value), revenue, and margins that exceeded guidance, demonstrating the company's ongoing execution against strategic initiatives despite international macroeconomic pressures.
- Growth Outlook: Management guided for 2026 GMV to be similar to 2025, reflecting resilience and sustained growth potential in navigating market challenges, which further boosts investor confidence.
- Investment and Buyback: eBay announced a new $2 billion share buyback authorization, indicating confidence in future growth while continuing to increase investments in platform capabilities and product innovations to drive business expansion.
- Stable Operating Outlook: Analysts noted that eBay is likely to achieve sustained positive revenue growth momentum over the next 12-18 months, with a stable operating margin narrative that compounds shareholder returns, further solidifying its market position.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy EBAY?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on EBAY
Wall Street analysts forecast EBAY stock price to rise
8 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
5 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 93.130
Low
60.00
Averages
95.00
High
112.00
Current: 93.130
Low
60.00
Averages
95.00
High
112.00
About EBAY
eBay Inc. is a global commerce company. The Company's technology empowers buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. The Company's business includes its online marketplace located at www.ebay.com and its localized counterparts, its off-platform marketplaces and its suite of mobile apps. It provides a number of features for its sellers and buyers that align with its approach of leveraging technology, including generative AI, to enhance the marketplace experience for its customers. For sellers, the Company is focused on simplifying their business processes to help drive their sales. The Company offers the eBay International Shipping program for sellers in the United States. For buyers, it is changing the way they find inventory through discovery, personalization and other experiences. It launched Explore, an AI-powered shopping feed enabling users to browse a list of personalized recommendations based on their interests, style preferences, and sizes.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Etsy and Nike Face Declining Sales Challenges
- Etsy's Sales Struggles: Etsy's gross merchandise sales dropped by 5.3% year-over-year in 2025, indicating a trend of customer loss and profit decline, although Q4 showed a slight recovery of 2.4% when excluding Reverb sales, the overall outlook remains bleak.
- Depop Sale Loss: Etsy sold Depop for $1.2 billion, significantly lower than the $1.625 billion it paid in 2021, highlighting the company's weakened position in market competition, which may affect future investor confidence.
- Nike's Revenue Stagnation: Nike has experienced a -2.27% CAGR over the past three years, indicating a continuous loss of market share; while wholesale revenue grew by 5% year-over-year, direct sales fell by 4%, reflecting overall growth challenges.
- Tesla's Growth Challenges: Tesla's revenue declined by 3% year-over-year in 2025, with a 10% drop in automobile sales; despite exceeding a $1 trillion market cap, a P/E ratio above 300 indicates immediate valuation risks, as long-term growth potential has yet to materialize meaningfully.
See More
Investment Risk Alert: Etsy, Nike, Tesla
- Etsy Sales Decline: Etsy's gross merchandise sales fell by 5.3% year-over-year, and despite a slight recovery in Q4 excluding Reverb sales, the overall decrease in active buyers and sellers led to a drop in net income, indicating a weakening market appeal that could hinder future revenue growth.
- Nike Revenue Struggles: Nike has experienced a -2.27% CAGR over the past three years, with wholesale revenue up 5% year-over-year but offset by a 4% decline in direct sales, reflecting a loss of market share and casting doubt on future growth prospects.
- Tesla Profitability Risks: Despite Tesla exceeding a $1 trillion market cap, its revenue dipped by 3% year-over-year in 2025, with a 10% decline in automobile sales and a 46% drop in GAAP net income, highlighting significant growth challenges that investors should be wary of.
- Market Sentiment Shift: As these companies face fundamental issues, investors may need to reassess the risks of holding these stocks, especially ahead of their upcoming earnings reports, which could impact stock performance.
See More
eBay's Long-Term Returns Outpace Market
- Stable Compound Growth: eBay has achieved a 14.3% annual compound growth rate over the past decade, and with a 1.5% dividend policy, its total annual return reaches 15.8%, surpassing the S&P 500's 14.2% return, highlighting its robust investment value.
- Shareholder-Friendly Capital Allocation: In 2025, eBay returned approximately $3 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, with its share count down by 62% since the end of 2015, indicating a focus on stable margins rather than endless expansion.
- Acquisition Brings New Opportunities: eBay's pending $12 billion acquisition of Etsy's Depop service is expected to attract millions of young users, refreshing its demographic, while management guides for 2026 GMV growth similar to last year's 6% increase.
- Clear Market Positioning: eBay focuses on connecting buyers and sellers of rare or collectible items, and despite risks from sluggish European economies and shifting trade policies, its clear market target makes it more defensible, appealing to long-term investors.
See More
eBay Outperforms S&P 500 with 15.8% Annual Return
- Return Performance: eBay has achieved a 15.8% annualized total return over the past decade, slightly surpassing the S&P 500's 14.2%, indicating its robust growth potential in the e-commerce market.
- Share Buyback Strategy: Since 2015, eBay has reduced its share count by 62% through aggressive buyback programs, which not only boosts earnings per share but also enhances shareholder confidence in returns.
- Acquisition of Younger Users: eBay's pending $12 billion acquisition of Etsy's Depop is expected to bring 56 million younger users to the platform, facilitating a demographic refresh that strengthens its market competitiveness.
- Capital Return Policy: In 2025, eBay returned approximately $3 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, showcasing its shareholder-friendly capital allocation strategy and reinforcing its appeal as a long-term investment.
See More
PayPal's Growth Outlook for the Next Three Years
- Stock Decline: PayPal's stock has fallen approximately 40% over the past three years due to stagnant account and sales growth, although it currently trades at a historically low P/E ratio of nine times earnings, indicating potential undervaluation.
- Revenue Growth Constraints: Following eBay's switch to Adyen in 2018, PayPal's revenue growth faced significant throttling; while the pandemic provided temporary relief, sustaining that momentum has proven challenging amid increasing competition.
- User Growth Stagnation: From 2022 to 2025, PayPal's active accounts grew marginally from 435 million to 439 million, yet its revenue increased at a 6% CAGR, primarily driven by enhanced transaction frequency per user and effective cost management.
- Future Growth Expectations: Analysts forecast that from 2025 to 2028, PayPal's revenue and EPS will grow at CAGRs of 4% and 6%, respectively, with steady growth anticipated through the introduction of new products and services, enhancing its market position.
See More
PayPal's Growth Slows, Stock Appears Undervalued
- Growth Challenges: PayPal's stock has declined approximately 40% over the past three years due to stalled account and sales growth, although its current P/E ratio of nine times earnings suggests potential undervaluation.
- Revenue Setbacks: The loss of eBay as a payment partner in 2018 throttled PayPal's revenue growth, and while the pandemic provided temporary relief, sustaining that momentum has proven difficult amid increasing competition.
- Declining Take Rates: PayPal's transaction take rate has dropped from 2.89% in 2015 to 1.66% in 2025, primarily due to reliance on lower-margin platforms like Braintree and Venmo, which has pressured overall profitability.
- Future Outlook: Analysts expect PayPal's revenue and EPS to grow at CAGRs of 4% and 6% from 2025 to 2028, respectively, with the potential for its stock to double to over $100 in the next three years, contingent on stabilizing its profitability metrics.
See More
Etsy and Nike Face Declining Sales Challenges
- Etsy's Sales Struggles: Etsy's gross merchandise sales dropped by 5.3% year-over-year in 2025, indicating a trend of customer loss and profit decline, although Q4 showed a slight recovery of 2.4% when excluding Reverb sales, the overall outlook remains bleak.
- Depop Sale Loss: Etsy sold Depop for $1.2 billion, significantly lower than the $1.625 billion it paid in 2021, highlighting the company's weakened position in market competition, which may affect future investor confidence.
- Nike's Revenue Stagnation: Nike has experienced a -2.27% CAGR over the past three years, indicating a continuous loss of market share; while wholesale revenue grew by 5% year-over-year, direct sales fell by 4%, reflecting overall growth challenges.
- Tesla's Growth Challenges: Tesla's revenue declined by 3% year-over-year in 2025, with a 10% drop in automobile sales; despite exceeding a $1 trillion market cap, a P/E ratio above 300 indicates immediate valuation risks, as long-term growth potential has yet to materialize meaningfully.
See More
Investment Risk Alert: Etsy, Nike, Tesla
- Etsy Sales Decline: Etsy's gross merchandise sales fell by 5.3% year-over-year, and despite a slight recovery in Q4 excluding Reverb sales, the overall decrease in active buyers and sellers led to a drop in net income, indicating a weakening market appeal that could hinder future revenue growth.
- Nike Revenue Struggles: Nike has experienced a -2.27% CAGR over the past three years, with wholesale revenue up 5% year-over-year but offset by a 4% decline in direct sales, reflecting a loss of market share and casting doubt on future growth prospects.
- Tesla Profitability Risks: Despite Tesla exceeding a $1 trillion market cap, its revenue dipped by 3% year-over-year in 2025, with a 10% decline in automobile sales and a 46% drop in GAAP net income, highlighting significant growth challenges that investors should be wary of.
- Market Sentiment Shift: As these companies face fundamental issues, investors may need to reassess the risks of holding these stocks, especially ahead of their upcoming earnings reports, which could impact stock performance.
See More
eBay's Long-Term Returns Outpace Market
- Stable Compound Growth: eBay has achieved a 14.3% annual compound growth rate over the past decade, and with a 1.5% dividend policy, its total annual return reaches 15.8%, surpassing the S&P 500's 14.2% return, highlighting its robust investment value.
- Shareholder-Friendly Capital Allocation: In 2025, eBay returned approximately $3 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, with its share count down by 62% since the end of 2015, indicating a focus on stable margins rather than endless expansion.
- Acquisition Brings New Opportunities: eBay's pending $12 billion acquisition of Etsy's Depop service is expected to attract millions of young users, refreshing its demographic, while management guides for 2026 GMV growth similar to last year's 6% increase.
- Clear Market Positioning: eBay focuses on connecting buyers and sellers of rare or collectible items, and despite risks from sluggish European economies and shifting trade policies, its clear market target makes it more defensible, appealing to long-term investors.
See More
eBay Outperforms S&P 500 with 15.8% Annual Return
- Return Performance: eBay has achieved a 15.8% annualized total return over the past decade, slightly surpassing the S&P 500's 14.2%, indicating its robust growth potential in the e-commerce market.
- Share Buyback Strategy: Since 2015, eBay has reduced its share count by 62% through aggressive buyback programs, which not only boosts earnings per share but also enhances shareholder confidence in returns.
- Acquisition of Younger Users: eBay's pending $12 billion acquisition of Etsy's Depop is expected to bring 56 million younger users to the platform, facilitating a demographic refresh that strengthens its market competitiveness.
- Capital Return Policy: In 2025, eBay returned approximately $3 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, showcasing its shareholder-friendly capital allocation strategy and reinforcing its appeal as a long-term investment.
See More
PayPal's Growth Outlook for the Next Three Years
- Stock Decline: PayPal's stock has fallen approximately 40% over the past three years due to stagnant account and sales growth, although it currently trades at a historically low P/E ratio of nine times earnings, indicating potential undervaluation.
- Revenue Growth Constraints: Following eBay's switch to Adyen in 2018, PayPal's revenue growth faced significant throttling; while the pandemic provided temporary relief, sustaining that momentum has proven challenging amid increasing competition.
- User Growth Stagnation: From 2022 to 2025, PayPal's active accounts grew marginally from 435 million to 439 million, yet its revenue increased at a 6% CAGR, primarily driven by enhanced transaction frequency per user and effective cost management.
- Future Growth Expectations: Analysts forecast that from 2025 to 2028, PayPal's revenue and EPS will grow at CAGRs of 4% and 6%, respectively, with steady growth anticipated through the introduction of new products and services, enhancing its market position.
See More
PayPal's Growth Slows, Stock Appears Undervalued
- Growth Challenges: PayPal's stock has declined approximately 40% over the past three years due to stalled account and sales growth, although its current P/E ratio of nine times earnings suggests potential undervaluation.
- Revenue Setbacks: The loss of eBay as a payment partner in 2018 throttled PayPal's revenue growth, and while the pandemic provided temporary relief, sustaining that momentum has proven difficult amid increasing competition.
- Declining Take Rates: PayPal's transaction take rate has dropped from 2.89% in 2015 to 1.66% in 2025, primarily due to reliance on lower-margin platforms like Braintree and Venmo, which has pressured overall profitability.
- Future Outlook: Analysts expect PayPal's revenue and EPS to grow at CAGRs of 4% and 6% from 2025 to 2028, respectively, with the potential for its stock to double to over $100 in the next three years, contingent on stabilizing its profitability metrics.
See More
