eBay: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors

On its third-quarter 2026 earnings call, held on Oct. 28, 2026, eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) announced an 11% increase in organic revenue to $3.2 billion as key strategic initiatives gained momentum. Expansion across consumer-to-consumer, or C2C, selling and resale platforms is widening the company's reach with younger buyers. Generating higher total value from existing customers strengthens its long-term competitive position.

Three things management said on the earnings call stand out.

1. Resale Platform Depop Expands Reach With Younger Shoppers

E-commerce behavior is shifting as younger consumers buy pre-owned goods more frequently. Expanding resale platform Depop increases gross merchandise volume, or GMV, which measures the total dollar value of goods sold on the site.

Depop's GMV growth outperformed our expectations in Q3, including U.S. GMV, monthly active users, and sold items more than doubling year over year on a pro forma basis.
-- Jamie J. Iannone, Chief Executive Officer

2. Live Streaming Commerce Drives Higher Engagement and Core Sales

Interactive streaming connects buyers and sellers in real time while boosting overall marketplace activity. Sellers who host live video shows generate substantial additional sales on the main marketplace.

Over time, what we are excited by is that we see the live business and our core business as highly synergistic. So if I look over the trailing 12 months, eBay live sellers generate roughly twice as much GMV on the core marketplace as they sold in live events.
-- Jamie J. Iannone, Chief Executive Officer

3. Artificial Intelligence Tools Streamline Listing Workflows for Sellers

Automated listing tools reduce friction for C2C sellers who trade directly with each other. Automated item details and estimated shipping labels help sellers create listings much faster.

Artificial intelligence has an outsized impact on our C2C business as it reduces friction that prevents consumers from listing and selling successfully.
-- Jamie J. Iannone, Chief Executive Officer

Looking Ahead

Topline growth gives eBay room to invest in high-return expansion.

Our better-than-expected topline growth in the first 3 quarters of this year has generated the capacity to further invest behind our strategic priorities even as we anticipate strong full-year operating income growth well ahead of our initial expectations.
-- Peggy Alford, Chief Financial Officer

Shipping scale and buyer trust support durable growth. Management stays focused on capital discipline and operating efficiency.

Looking ahead, our conviction in eBay's long term has never been stronger. We see tremendous runway to expand our total addressable market and drive durable growth creating compounding multiyear value for our shareholders.
-- Peggy Alford, Chief Financial Officer

The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends eBay. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.