eBay Q4 2011 Results: Revenues Rise 35% - EPS Beats By Three Cents

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eBay Q4 2011 Results: Revenues Rise 35% - EPS Beats By Three Cents

January 19, 2012

eBay reported that revenue for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011, increased 35% to $3.4 billion, compared to the same period of 2010. The company reported fourth quarter net income on a GAAP basis of $2.0 billion, or $1.51 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $788.6 million, or $0.60 per diluted share. The year-over-year increase in the fourth quarter GAAP earnings per diluted share was driven primarily by a gain on the sale of the company's remaining investment in Skype. The year-over-year increase in the fourth quarter non-GAAP earnings per diluted share was driven primarily by strong top-line growth and improved productivity partially offset by a higher tax rate.

Wall Street was looking for revenues of only $3.32 billion, and earnings of 57 cents per share.

For the full year, revenue increased 27% to $11.7 billion, compared to 2010. The company generated net income on a GAAP basis of $3.2 billion, or $2.46 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $2.7 billion, or $2.03 per diluted share.

“We had a strong fourth quarter finish to an excellent year, increasing our confidence in our three-year outlook,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe. “Across eBay, PayPal, GSI and X.commerce, we have a robust portfolio of global commerce platforms and innovative mobile, local and social commerce technology assets. We are well-positioned to compete in the emerging new retail environment, and to help retailers of all sizes grow and engage their customers anytime, anywhere. We are a different eBay today, no longer just an ecommerce leader but a stronger, more diverse global commerce company shaping the future of shopping and payments.”

The company's PayPal business continued to expand its leadership position in global payments. PayPal ended the quarter with 106.3 million active registered accounts, a 13% increase year over year. On average, PayPal added a million new accounts every month in 2011. PayPal revenue for the quarter increased 28% year over year driven primarily by continued merchant and consumer adoption as well as increased penetration on eBay. In the fourth quarter, revenue from PayPal's international markets exceeded revenue from the U.S. for the first time, reflecting the company's strong global footprint and growth in emerging markets. PayPal's net total payment volume (TPV) grew 24% to $33.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. The company's mobile payment volume reached $4.0 billion in 2011, more than five times the mobile payment volume in the prior year, as more consumers used their smartphones and tablets to pay online.

The company's Marketplaces business also delivered strong fourth quarter performance. Marketplaces revenue for the quarter was up 16% year over year, due primarily to increased buying and selling on our platforms and growth from acquisitions. Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excluding vehicles, increased 10% to $16.5 billion with sold items up 11% globally year over year. U.S. GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 10% year over year, reflecting the success of eBay's tailored shopping experiences, the strong results delivered by eBay's top-rated sellers and the benefits of site enhancements. International GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 9% year over year, driven primarily by stable growth in Europe and improved performance in Asia. eBay mobile reached a record $5 billion transacted through mobile devices during 2011 as increased adoption of eBay's mobile apps and product innovation drove deeper customer engagement across all platforms.

The company's GSI business, which was acquired in the second quarter of 2011, contributed $363.6 million in revenue for the fourth quarter. GSI generated $1.4 billion in global ecommerce (GeC) merchandise sales during the quarter, driven by strong performance by top merchants, where same store sales grew 26% year over year, outpacing ecommerce growth rates in the fourth quarter.

Other Selected Financial Results

Operating margin — GAAP operating margin decreased to 22.3% for the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to 23.7% for the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating margin decreased to 28.7% for the quarter, compared to 29.5% for the same period last year. The decrease in non-GAAP operating margin was due primarily to the impact of acquisitions and business mix. All three business segment margins increased during the fourth quarter of 2011 with Marketplaces, Payments and GSI generating segment margins of 40.6%, 24.7% and 21.4%, respectively, compared to 38.5%, 19.5% and 2.8%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2011.
Taxes — The GAAP effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2011 was 19%, compared to 5% for the fourth quarter of 2010. For the fourth quarter of 2011, the non-GAAP effective tax rate was 20% compared to 8% for the fourth quarter of 2010. The increase in the effective tax rate was due primarily to the settlement of uncertain tax positions in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Cash flow — The company generated $982 million of operating cash flow and $691 million of free cash flow during the fourth quarter.
Stock repurchase program — The company repurchased approximately $250 million of its common stock in the fourth quarter.
Cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments — The company's cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments portfolio totaled $7.5 billion at December 31, 2011, compared to $7.8 billion at December 31, 2010.

Business Outlook

First quarter 2012 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $3,050 - $3,150 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.37 - $0.38 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.50 - $0.51.
Full year 2012 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $13,700 - $14,000 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $1.76 - $1.81 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.25 - $2.30.

Wall Street was expecting Q1 2012 revenues of $3.18 billion. For the full year, Wall Street was only expecting revenues of $13.7 billion.

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