Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare eBay Inc. (EBAY) vs Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) vs Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AMZN | 12.4% revenue growth vs BABA's 5.9% |
| Value | BABA | Lower P/E (3.4x vs 27.0x) |
| Quality / Margins | EBAY | 18.3% net margin vs AMZN's 10.8% |
| Stability / Safety | EBAY | Beta 0.57 vs AMZN's 1.31 |
| Dividends | EBAY | 1.3% yield, 7-year raise streak, vs BABA's 1.2% |
| Momentum (1Y) | EBAY | +42.1% vs AMZN's -1.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | EBAY | 11.5% ROA vs BABA's 6.5%, ROIC 17.0% vs 9.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
eBay operates a global online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of goods ranging from collectibles to everyday items. It generates revenue primarily through transaction fees — taking a percentage of each sale — along with listing fees and advertising services for sellers. Its key advantage is network effects from its massive user base and brand recognition as one of the original e-commerce platforms.
Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce and technology conglomerate that operates digital marketplaces connecting buyers and sellers. It generates revenue primarily from its core commerce segments — China Commerce (~65%) and International Commerce (~10%) — along with cloud services (~10%) and logistics through Cainiao. Its key competitive advantage is its massive ecosystem network effect, where its platforms like Taobao and Tmall create a self-reinforcing cycle of merchants and consumers that's difficult for competitors to replicate.
Amazon is a global e-commerce and technology giant that operates online marketplaces, physical stores, and cloud computing services. It generates revenue primarily from online retail sales (~80% of total), Amazon Web Services cloud computing (~15%), and advertising/subscription services like Prime. Its key competitive advantage is an immense logistics network and data infrastructure moat—including AWS's dominant cloud position—that creates massive scale economies and ecosystem lock-in.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 3 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
EBAY leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BABA leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BABA is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.01T annually — 91.2x EBAY's $11.1B. EBAY is the more profitable business, keeping 18.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AMZN's 10.8%. On growth, EBAY holds the edge at +15.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EBAYeBay Inc. | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $11.1B | $1.01T | $716.9B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $2.6B | $114.6B | $126.3B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $2.0B | $123.4B | $77.7B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $1.4B | $2.6B | $7.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +71.5% | +41.2% | +50.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +20.5% | +10.9% | +11.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +18.3% | +12.2% | +10.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +13.0% | +0.3% | +1.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +15.0% | +4.8% | +13.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -17.9% | -52.0% | +4.8% |
Valuation Metrics
At 18.4x trailing earnings, BABA trades at a 37% valuation discount to AMZN's 29.3x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, EBAY's 17.9x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than BABA's 104.2x.
| Metric | EBAYeBay Inc. | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $40.8B | $2.66T | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $46.0B | $2.67T | $2.32T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 20.94x | 18.44x | 29.29x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 15.02x | 3.42x | 27.03x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — | 1.05x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 17.86x | 104.23x | 18.38x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.68x | 18.33x | 3.14x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 9.06x | 2.19x | 5.55x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 27.49x | 233.68x | 292.96x |
Profitability & Efficiency
EBAY delivers a 44.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $44 in annual profit, vs $11 for BABA. BABA carries lower financial leverage with a 0.23x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to EBAY's 1.53x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), BABA scores 7/9 vs AMZN's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | EBAYeBay Inc. | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +44.0% | +11.1% | +18.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +11.5% | +6.5% | +9.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +17.0% | +9.6% | +14.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +17.4% | +10.4% | +15.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.53x | 0.23x | 0.37x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $5.2B | $66.8B | $66.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.9B | $181.7B | $86.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $7.1B | $248.5B | $153.0B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 10.13x | 15.74x | 42.78x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in EBAY five years ago would be worth $16,334 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,154 for BABA. Over the past 12 months, EBAY leads with a +42.1% total return vs AMZN's -1.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AMZN at 30.6% vs BABA's 19.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | EBAYeBay Inc. | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +4.4% | -7.5% | -7.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +42.1% | +10.2% | -1.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +105.0% | +69.4% | +122.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +63.3% | -38.5% | +33.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +307.1% | +116.1% | +660.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +27.0% | +19.2% | +30.6% |
Risk & Volatility
EBAY is the less volatile stock with a 0.57 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AMZN's 1.31 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. EBAY currently trades 89.8% from its 52-week high vs BABA's 74.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | EBAYeBay Inc. | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.57x | 0.90x | 1.31x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $101.15 | $192.67 | $258.60 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $58.71 | $95.73 | $161.38 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +89.8% | +74.8% | +81.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.9 | 33.4 | 39.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.1M | 10.2M | 40.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Analyst consensus: EBAY as "Hold", BABA as "Buy", AMZN as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 35.2% upside for AMZN (target: $284) vs 9.1% for EBAY (target: $99). For income investors, EBAY offers the higher dividend yield at 1.27% vs BABA's 1.23%.
| Metric | EBAYeBay Inc. | BABAAlibaba Group Hol… | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $99.13 | $188.62 | $283.97 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 68 | 58 | 94 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.3% | +1.2% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 7 | 2 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $1.15 | $12.14 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +6.1% | +0.5% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 100 | 260.79 | +160.8% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 100 | 79.81 | -20.2% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 100 | 248.68 | +148.7% |
eBay Inc. (EBAY) returned +63% over 5 years vs Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA)'s -38%. A $10,000 investment in EBAY 5 years ago would be worth $16,334 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | $9.3B | $11.1B | +19.4% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | $101.1B | $996.3B | +885.1% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | $136.0B | $716.9B | +427.2% |
eBay Inc.'s revenue grew from $9.3B (2016) to $11.1B (2025) — a 2.0% CAGR. Alibaba Group Holding Limited's revenue grew from $101.1B (2016) to $996.3B (2025) — a 28.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 78.1% | 18.3% | -76.6% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 70.7% | 13.1% | -81.5% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 1.7% | 10.8% | +521.4% |
eBay Inc.'s net margin went from 78% (2016) to 18% (2025). Alibaba Group Holding Limited's net margin went from 71% (2016) to 13% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 11 | 20.1 | +82.7% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 8.8 | 2.7 | -69.3% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 188.6 | 32.2 | -82.9% |
eBay Inc. has traded in a 3x–20x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~21x. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has traded in a 2x–9x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~18x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 6.35 | 4.34 | -31.7% |
| Alibaba Group Holdi… (BABA) | 34 | 53.6 | +57.6% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 0.25 | 7.17 | +2768.0% |
eBay Inc.'s EPS grew from $6.35 (2016) to $4.34 (2025) — a -4% CAGR. Alibaba Group Holding Limited's EPS grew from $34.00 (2016) to $53.60 (2025) — a 5% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
eBay Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (-33% vs 2021). Alibaba Group Holding Limited generated $78B FCF in 2025 (-57% vs 2021).
EBAY vs BABA vs AMZN: Key Questions Answered
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EBAY or BABA or AMZN a better buy right now?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) offers the better valuation at 18.4x trailing P/E (3.4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) a "Buy" — based on 58 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — EBAY or BABA or AMZN?
On trailing P/E, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) is the cheapest at 18.4x versus Amazon.com, Inc. at 29.3x. On forward P/E, Alibaba Group Holding Limited is actually cheaper at 3.4x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — EBAY or BABA or AMZN?
Over the past 5 years, eBay Inc. (EBAY) delivered a total return of +63.3%, compared to -38.5% for Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA). A $10,000 investment in EBAY five years ago would be worth approximately $16K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AMZN returned +660.0% versus BABA's +116.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — EBAY or BABA or AMZN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), eBay Inc. (EBAY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.57β versus Amazon.com, Inc.'s 1.31β — meaning AMZN is approximately 130% more volatile than EBAY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 23% versus 153% for eBay Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — EBAY or BABA or AMZN?
eBay Inc. (EBAY) is the more profitable company, earning 18.3% net margin versus 10.8% for Amazon.com, Inc. — meaning it keeps 18.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: EBAY leads at 20.5% versus 11.2% for AMZN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — EBAY leads at 71.5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is EBAY or BABA or AMZN more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) trades at 3.4x forward P/E versus 27.0x for Amazon.com, Inc. — 23.6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AMZN: 35.2% to $283.97.
07Which pays a better dividend — EBAY or BABA or AMZN?
In this comparison, EBAY (1.3% yield), BABA (1.2% yield) pay a dividend. AMZN does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is EBAY or BABA or AMZN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, eBay Inc. (EBAY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.57), 1.3% yield, +307.1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (EBAY: +307.1%, AMZN: +660.0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between EBAY and BABA and AMZN?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. EBAY, BABA pay a dividend while AMZN does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.