eBay reports Q3 Financials

[slippinjimmy]

Of greatest interest to eBay sellers.....

GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) UP 9% y/y

Active buyers up 2 Million y/y

The GMV number in particular is quite good relative to the numbers they have reported over the past few years and would tend to indicate that eBay is on the right track.

https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news/ebay-inc-reports-third-quarter-2017-results/

[gracieallen01]

---

@nawlinsron2 wrote:
58% of ebay sales are foreign...I guess there's domestic growth in those numbers.
...but it's only a guess.

---

Yeah, but aren't there a few 'numbers' missing from the equation to tell just how 'GREAT' the increase is 'supposed' to be??  Like how many sales!  And, how many sellers?  And, how may buyers?  And, how many transactions.

Percentages are wonderful, if they have numbers behind them to back them up.  What are the numbers?

"There's lies, darn lies and statistics". - stolen and paraphrased.

[slippinjimmy]

---

@nawlinsron2 wrote:
58% of ebay sales are foreign...I guess there's domestic growth in those numbers.
...but it's only a guess.

---

58% of eBay sales are cross border so that includes sales by US Sellers to buyers outside of the US and of course it also includes sales by foreign sellers to buyers in the US

[gracieallen01]

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

The numbers mean this:

In the most recent quarter, July, August, September 9% more goods (by dollar value) were sold on eBay marketplaces (almost all of that is the main site because GMV at Stub Hub was not as good) than in the same period in 2016.

There were 2 million more users who bought and paid for at least 1 item in the past 12 months than in the same period in 2016.

More buyers and more sales, that's what ALL sellers want to hear.

If you follow the link I provided you can find the raw numbers (Dollars).

For accuracy I'll state that I slightly misread the numbers, the GMV was actually up 8%, it was eBay's revenues that were up 9%

---

And, how many returns, cancellations and non-paying buyers?

[gracieallen01]

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

---

@nawlinsron2 wrote:
58% of ebay sales are foreign...I guess there's domestic growth in those numbers.
...but it's only a guess.

---

58% of eBay sales are cross border so that includes sales by US Sellers to buyers outside of the US and of course it also includes sales by foreign sellers to buyers in the US

---

Yeah.  So?  What's new with cross boarder sales?

[slippinjimmy]

eBay has never provided numbers for returns (I don`t know of any company that does) although the GMV number is probably a net number and also returns are probably fairly stable from one year to the next.

Transactions that are cancelled or not paid for are NOT counted just as new user accounts that never complete a purchase are not counted.

[gracieallen01]

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

eBay has never provided numbers for returns (I don`t know of any company that does) although the GMV number is probably a net number and also returns are probably fairly stable from one year to the next.

Transactions that are cancelled or not paid for are NOT counted just as new user accounts that never complete a purchase are not counted.

---

Ah, so, I gather that without the additional information, the numbers really don't mean diddly, except to people on 'the street' and those trying to sell ebay as a wonderful investment.

[femmefan1946]

The man has NO clue who his customer is...maybe that's why stock is DOWN $2.30 after hours as I speak.

LOL. So why is it up 40% in the past 12 months?

EBay does not pay dividends from its profits to stockholders.

Anyone wanting to make money from eBay stock must buy it when it is low and sell it when it is high.

This has little or nothing to do with how well the company is doing.

The stock market is a casino.

The only time a company* makes money from the stock market is when it does an IPO and sells new stock in the company.

All the other money washing around in the stock market does the company no good whatsoever.

I've made money on eBay stock at the turn of the millennium by selling half my stock with each split and all of it before the market actually crashed.  Now I'm only invested in dividend paying stocks, where the company has to make a profit for the stockholders to make money.

Her's a video discussion with guys much smarter than me about this. The book Fixing The Game is also a good explanation of the problem of currying favour with stockholders over customers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8qKZUDm1c

*Not the senior management, who are often paid in stock or stock options.

[slippinjimmy]

---

@gracieallen01 wrote:

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

eBay has never provided numbers for returns (I don`t know of any company that does) although the GMV number is probably a net number and also returns are probably fairly stable from one year to the next.

Transactions that are cancelled or not paid for are NOT counted just as new user accounts that never complete a purchase are not counted.

---

Ah, so, I gather that without the additional information, the numbers really don't mean diddly, except to people on 'the street' and those trying to sell ebay as a wonderful investment.

---

Not sure how you come to that conclusion, the two numbers I mentioned in the OP are VERY important to sellers. By that I mean sellers in general not necessarily specific sellers.

There is plenty of additional information if you want to take the time to read the full release. If you have a specific question about something you find there I`d be happy to try to answer but I`m not about to simply repeat pages and pages of minutia.

[nawlinsron2]

"LOL. So why is it up 40% in the past 12 months?"

Oct. 16, 2016...closed at $32.52
Oct. 19, 2017...closed at $37.97
$5.45/$32.52=16.75%...not 40%

If you repeat 40% enough times, someone will believe you.

[gracieallen01]

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

---

@gracieallen01 wrote:

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

eBay has never provided numbers for returns (I don`t know of any company that does) although the GMV number is probably a net number and also returns are probably fairly stable from one year to the next.

Transactions that are cancelled or not paid for are NOT counted just as new user accounts that never complete a purchase are not counted.

---

Ah, so, I gather that without the additional information, the numbers really don't mean diddly, except to people on 'the street' and those trying to sell ebay as a wonderful investment.

---

Not sure how you come to that conclusion, the two numbers I mentioned in the OP are VERY important to sellers. By that I mean sellers in general not necessarily specific sellers.

There is plenty of additional information if you want to take the time to read the full release. If you have a specific question about something you find there I`d be happy to try to answer but I`m not about to simply repeat pages and pages of minutia.

---

Not really trying to be overly argumentitive, I just don't see how there is much, if any, substance to the numbers they offer as being great.  It is sort of like saying "These numbers are great, IF/BECAUSE .... ", and not offering a base - or basis - for comparison (no, just y/y doesn't get it).  I suppose it is from being somewhat analytical and playing around as a statistician once-upon-another-life.

[slippinjimmy]

The GMV number is `great`because it`s much improved from what eBay has reported for 2016.

The GMV number only goes up if more goods are sold on eBay.

The question now is can they maintain (hopefully increase) the growth in sales going forward.

[nawlinsron2]

Statistically speaking, you can't convince somebody against their will.

[thatsallfolks]

---

@nawlinsron2 wrote:
"LOL. So why is it up 40% in the past 12 months?"

Oct. 16, 2016...closed at $32.52
Oct. 19, 2017...closed at $37.97
$5.45/$32.52=16.75%...not 40%

If you repeat 40% enough times, someone will believe you.

---

Excuse me for using the price when it dropped below $29 later in October. It’s still up significantly.

[sandmansales]

And if the returns, SNADs, scams, chargebacks, hacked account sales, unauthorized use claims, cancellations, courtesy refunds, guest account thieves and non paying deadbeats equal 10%, then ebay's 'sales' are -1%.

The reported numbers mean nothing.

[gracieallen01]

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

The GMV number is `great`because it`s much improved from what eBay has reported for 2016.

The GMV number only goes up if more goods are sold on eBay.

The question now is can they maintain (hopefully increase) the growth in sales going forward.

---

I suppose an improvement over very little is something - but 'great'?

It does prove one thing, though.  I can continue to stay blissfully ignorant of 'the market'.