Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Sea Limited (SE) vs eBay Inc. (EBAY) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | SE | 28.8% revenue growth vs EBAY's 7.9% |
| Value | EBAY | Lower P/E (15.0x vs 24.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | EBAY | 18.3% net margin vs SE's 6.2% |
| Stability / Safety | EBAY | Beta 0.57 vs SE's 1.37 |
| Dividends | EBAY | 1.3% yield; 7-year raise streak; SE pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | EBAY | +42.1% vs SE's -14.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | EBAY | 11.5% ROA vs SE's 4.7%, ROIC 17.0% vs 5.4% |
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
Sea Limited is a Southeast Asian digital conglomerate operating three core platforms: Garena for gaming, Shopee for e-commerce, and SeaMoney for digital financial services. It generates revenue primarily from digital entertainment (game sales and in-app purchases), e-commerce marketplace commissions and advertising, and financial services fees — with e-commerce being the largest segment. The company's key advantage is its integrated ecosystem where each platform reinforces the others — gaming funds e-commerce growth, which in turn drives financial services adoption — creating powerful network effects across Southeast Asia's emerging digital economy.
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.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
SE leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). EBAY leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SE is the larger business by revenue, generating $19.4B annually — 1.7x EBAY's $11.1B. EBAY is the more profitable business, keeping 18.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to SE's 6.2%. On growth, SE holds the edge at +38.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SESea Limited | EBAYeBay Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $19.4B | $11.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.7B | $2.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $1.2B | $2.0B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $4.1B | $1.4B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +45.0% | +71.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +7.5% | +20.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +6.2% | +18.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +21.3% | +13.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +38.2% | +15.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +3.9% | -17.9% |
Valuation Metrics
At 20.9x trailing earnings, EBAY trades at a 86% valuation discount to SE's 148.6x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, SE's 6.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than EBAY's 17.9x.
| Metric | SESea Limited | EBAYeBay Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $4.9B | $40.8B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $6.7B | $46.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 148.56x | 20.94x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 24.66x | 15.02x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 6.33x | 17.86x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.29x | 3.68x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 7.74x | 9.06x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 1.67x | 27.49x |
Profitability & Efficiency
EBAY delivers a 44.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $44 in annual profit, vs $12 for SE. SE carries lower financial leverage with a 0.49x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to EBAY's 1.53x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SE scores 7/9 vs EBAY's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | SESea Limited | EBAYeBay Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +12.3% | +44.0% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +4.7% | +11.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +5.4% | +17.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +6.0% | +17.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.49x | 1.53x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.7B | $5.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.4B | $1.9B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4.1B | $7.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 39.25x | 10.13x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in EBAY five years ago would be worth $16,334 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,364 for SE. Over the past 12 months, EBAY leads with a +42.1% total return vs SE's -14.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors EBAY at 27.0% vs SE's 20.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SESea Limited | EBAYeBay Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -17.5% | +4.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -14.8% | +42.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +73.5% | +105.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -56.4% | +63.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +577.2% | +307.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +20.2% | +27.0% |
Risk & Volatility
EBAY is the less volatile stock with a 0.57 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SE's 1.37 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 SE's 54.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SESea Limited | EBAYeBay Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.37x | 0.57x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $199.30 | $101.15 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $99.50 | $58.71 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +54.4% | +89.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 45.2 | 51.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.4M | 4.1M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SE as "Buy" and EBAY as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 61.4% upside for SE (target: $175) vs 9.1% for EBAY (target: $99). EBAY is the only dividend payer here at 1.27% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | SESea Limited | EBAYeBay Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $175.00 | $99.13 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 44 | 68 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +1.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 7 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.15 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +6.1% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Limited (SE) | 100 | 236.45 | +136.4% |
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 100 | 260.79 | +160.8% |
eBay Inc. (EBAY) returned +63% over 5 years vs Sea Limited (SE)'s -56%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Limited (SE) | $346M | $16.8B | +4765.9% |
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | $9.3B | $11.1B | +19.4% |
eBay Inc.'s revenue grew from $9.3B (2016) to $11.1B (2025) — a 2.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Limited (SE) | -64.5% | 2.6% | +104.1% |
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 78.1% | 18.3% | -76.6% |
eBay Inc.'s net margin went from 78% (2016) to 18% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 11 | 20.1 | +82.7% |
eBay Inc. has traded in a 3x–20x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~21x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Limited (SE) | -0.69 | 0.73 | +205.8% |
| eBay Inc. (EBAY) | 6.35 | 4.34 | -31.7% |
eBay Inc.'s EPS grew from $6.35 (2016) to $4.34 (2025) — a -4% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Sea Limited generated $3B FCF in 2024 (+594% vs 2021). eBay Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2025 (-33% vs 2021).
SE vs EBAY: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SE or EBAY a better buy right now?
eBay Inc. (EBAY) offers the better valuation at 20.9x trailing P/E (15.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Sea Limited (SE) a "Buy" — based on 44 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 — SE or EBAY?
On trailing P/E, eBay Inc. (EBAY) is the cheapest at 20.9x versus Sea Limited at 148.6x. On forward P/E, eBay Inc. is actually cheaper at 15.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — SE or EBAY?
Over the past 5 years, eBay Inc. (EBAY) delivered a total return of +63.3%, compared to -56.4% for Sea Limited (SE). 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: SE returned +577.2% versus EBAY's +307.1%. 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 — SE or EBAY?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), eBay Inc. (EBAY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.57β versus Sea Limited's 1.37β — meaning SE is approximately 140% more volatile than EBAY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Sea Limited (SE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 49% versus 153% for eBay Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — SE or EBAY?
eBay Inc. (EBAY) is the more profitable company, earning 18.3% net margin versus 2.6% for Sea Limited — 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 3.9% for SE. 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 SE or EBAY more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, eBay Inc. (EBAY) trades at 15.0x forward P/E versus 24.7x for Sea Limited — 9.6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SE: 61.4% to $175.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — SE or EBAY?
In this comparison, EBAY (1.3% yield) pays a dividend. SE does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is SE or EBAY 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%, SE: +577.2%), 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 SE and EBAY?
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 pays a dividend while SE 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.
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