Meg Whitman has stepped down, and in our eyes, this makes it a good time for everyone else to step back. We shouldn’t necessarily stay back; now’s just an opportune moment to consider all things eBay.
Whitman’s replacement, John Donahoe, has been welcomed by some spectators – see an article about Bear Sterns upgrading its outlook on the company’s stock. But others view Donahoe as not different enough, with Owen Thomas writing, “[P]ower will be ceremoniously transferred one ex-management consultant to another. Is it any wonder eBay is bleeding risktakers and creative talent?”
Some mild innovation may occur in the form of lowered fees. Also, Donahoe seems interested in heading off potential problems (such as a flood of crappy auctions) by improving eBay’s search. Still, on this issue, Valleywag’s Nicholas Carlson steps in to point out, “eBay has been talking about improving its search for years.”
So it would appear that no one can agree on anything. Well, at least we know. To further complicate matters, Henry Blodget is discussing possible layoffs at eBay; whether dead weight, good people, or extraordinary employees are about to get fired is another concern.
At least, regardless of how quickly it changes, eBay’s stock price is a solid number. At this moment, that price is $26.69, or about $0.94 above its 52-week low.
