▲ 74 ▼ GameStop makes $55.5bn takeover offer for eBay (www.bbc.com) submitted 4 months ago by MashedHobbits@lemy.lol to c/world@quokk.au 16 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 26 points 4 months ago (6 children) I'm amazed that GameStop has this much money. permalink fedilink source hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] Zedstrian@sopuli.xyz 18 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (5 children) Given that GameStop's acquisition offer is half-stock, half-cash, they need to round up $27.75 billion; as they only had $9 billion in cash-on-hand as of January, most of that is the $20 billion in debt they'd be taking on. They already have $5 billion in liabilities, so when also accounting for eBay's $13.5 billion in liabilities, the combined company would have $38.5 billion in liabilities. Not only would the combined company have negative shareholder equity after the $20 billion loan (about -$10 billion, given the current $10 billion in shareholder equity between the two companies), but their combined annual net income is only about $2.5 billion (theoretically $4.5 billion after the proposed cost-cutting; likely less however, given that shrinking the eBay marketing department will likely reduce sales), so it's unclear how they intend to pay it off, aside from issuing additional shares that would dilute the investment of the very shareholders they are trying to convince. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 5 child comments replies: [–] LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 months ago (4 children) I'm guessing they're also betting on a revamp / to be more competitive with Amazon and that their diamond hand fans (I don't know how else to describe them) will switch over to ebay in droves, they would. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 4 points 4 months ago (2 children) Yes that's my guess as well: the prospect of stealing even a fraction of the business that Amazon does would probably make the whole thing worth it, and to that end, the main thing eBay brings to the table is the kind of pre-established brand recognition that money can't buy. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] darkangelazuarl@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 child) They are literally buying the brand recognition with money in this proposal. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) Touché. However what I mean is that building a brand isn't something that can be guaranteed simply by spending money. GameStop could spend several billion advertising themselves as an Amazon alternative and it still might not take. Whereas the eBay brand is well established. I suppose I should have said "the kind of brand recognition that money alone can't build". permalink fedilink source parent [–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 1 point 4 months ago It's because so many people scalp shit from GS to sell on eBay. They're trying to figure out how to make money off of that. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Zedstrian@sopuli.xyz 18 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (5 children) Given that GameStop's acquisition offer is half-stock, half-cash, they need to round up $27.75 billion; as they only had $9 billion in cash-on-hand as of January, most of that is the $20 billion in debt they'd be taking on. They already have $5 billion in liabilities, so when also accounting for eBay's $13.5 billion in liabilities, the combined company would have $38.5 billion in liabilities. Not only would the combined company have negative shareholder equity after the $20 billion loan (about -$10 billion, given the current $10 billion in shareholder equity between the two companies), but their combined annual net income is only about $2.5 billion (theoretically $4.5 billion after the proposed cost-cutting; likely less however, given that shrinking the eBay marketing department will likely reduce sales), so it's unclear how they intend to pay it off, aside from issuing additional shares that would dilute the investment of the very shareholders they are trying to convince. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 5 child comments replies: [–] LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 months ago (4 children) I'm guessing they're also betting on a revamp / to be more competitive with Amazon and that their diamond hand fans (I don't know how else to describe them) will switch over to ebay in droves, they would. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 4 points 4 months ago (2 children) Yes that's my guess as well: the prospect of stealing even a fraction of the business that Amazon does would probably make the whole thing worth it, and to that end, the main thing eBay brings to the table is the kind of pre-established brand recognition that money can't buy. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] darkangelazuarl@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 child) They are literally buying the brand recognition with money in this proposal. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) Touché. However what I mean is that building a brand isn't something that can be guaranteed simply by spending money. GameStop could spend several billion advertising themselves as an Amazon alternative and it still might not take. Whereas the eBay brand is well established. I suppose I should have said "the kind of brand recognition that money alone can't build". permalink fedilink source parent [–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 1 point 4 months ago It's because so many people scalp shit from GS to sell on eBay. They're trying to figure out how to make money off of that. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 months ago (4 children) I'm guessing they're also betting on a revamp / to be more competitive with Amazon and that their diamond hand fans (I don't know how else to describe them) will switch over to ebay in droves, they would. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 4 points 4 months ago (2 children) Yes that's my guess as well: the prospect of stealing even a fraction of the business that Amazon does would probably make the whole thing worth it, and to that end, the main thing eBay brings to the table is the kind of pre-established brand recognition that money can't buy. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] darkangelazuarl@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 child) They are literally buying the brand recognition with money in this proposal. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) Touché. However what I mean is that building a brand isn't something that can be guaranteed simply by spending money. GameStop could spend several billion advertising themselves as an Amazon alternative and it still might not take. Whereas the eBay brand is well established. I suppose I should have said "the kind of brand recognition that money alone can't build". permalink fedilink source parent [–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 1 point 4 months ago It's because so many people scalp shit from GS to sell on eBay. They're trying to figure out how to make money off of that. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Tango@piefed.ca 4 points 4 months ago (2 children) Yes that's my guess as well: the prospect of stealing even a fraction of the business that Amazon does would probably make the whole thing worth it, and to that end, the main thing eBay brings to the table is the kind of pre-established brand recognition that money can't buy. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] darkangelazuarl@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 child) They are literally buying the brand recognition with money in this proposal. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) Touché. However what I mean is that building a brand isn't something that can be guaranteed simply by spending money. GameStop could spend several billion advertising themselves as an Amazon alternative and it still might not take. Whereas the eBay brand is well established. I suppose I should have said "the kind of brand recognition that money alone can't build". permalink fedilink source parent
[–] darkangelazuarl@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 child) They are literally buying the brand recognition with money in this proposal. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] Tango@piefed.ca 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) Touché. However what I mean is that building a brand isn't something that can be guaranteed simply by spending money. GameStop could spend several billion advertising themselves as an Amazon alternative and it still might not take. Whereas the eBay brand is well established. I suppose I should have said "the kind of brand recognition that money alone can't build". permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Tango@piefed.ca 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) Touché. However what I mean is that building a brand isn't something that can be guaranteed simply by spending money. GameStop could spend several billion advertising themselves as an Amazon alternative and it still might not take. Whereas the eBay brand is well established. I suppose I should have said "the kind of brand recognition that money alone can't build". permalink fedilink source parent
[–] swelter_spark@reddthat.com 1 point 4 months ago It's because so many people scalp shit from GS to sell on eBay. They're trying to figure out how to make money off of that. permalink fedilink source parent