Peter Thiel co-founded both PayPal and Palantir but took very different approaches to each investment. While he sold his PayPal stake for $55 million after eBay's acquisition (missing out on billions), he remains heavily invested in Palantir with a $10+ billion stake as chairman. PayPal faces sluggish growth with only 4-6% expected revenue and EPS growth through 2028, while Palantir is experiencing explosive growth with 49-54% expected CAGRs. The article suggests Palantir is the better long-term investment despite its premium valuation.

The article identifies MercadoLibre and Dutch Bros as two consumer discretionary stocks worth buying during market downturns. MercadoLibre, operating as a Latin American Amazon/eBay/PayPal hybrid, has achieved 39% revenue growth despite margin pressures and bad loan challenges. Dutch Bros, a coffee chain expanding regionally to nationally, achieved 28% revenue growth in 2025 with a strategy similar to Starbucks' early expansion, though both stocks currently trade at elevated valuations.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen announced the company is working on a major acquisition of a larger consumer company that could be transformational. With over $9 billion in cash, GameStop is exploring potential targets to reverse four years of declining revenue. The article speculates on three possible acquisition candidates: Best Buy, Sirius XM, and eBay, each offering different strategic benefits to revitalize the struggling video game retailer.

eBay has delivered 15.8% annualized total returns over the past decade, outpacing the S&P 500 through steady business operations, aggressive share buybacks (62% reduction since 2015), and shareholder-friendly capital allocation. The company is acquiring Etsy's Depop service to access 56 million younger users, positioning itself as a defensible platform for rare and collectible items without pursuing expensive expansion like competitors.

An undervalued dividend stock has outperformed amid a broad stock market sell-off. The business requires minimal capital investments, making it an attractive option for dividend investors during market volatility.

PayPal's stock has declined 40% over the past year amid slowing account growth, declining transaction take rates, and expected revenue/earnings declines in 2026. The article identifies three critical issues: sluggish active account growth (only 1% YoY), declining take rates from 2.89% to 1.66% since 2015, and near-term revenue/earnings weakness. The author suggests avoiding the stock unless PayPal's investments stabilize growth metrics.

eBay reported strong Q4 2025 earnings with revenue of $2.97 billion exceeding expectations and GMV growth of nearly 10% in the US. The company announced a $1.2 billion acquisition of Depop, a secondhand clothing marketplace, to capture Gen Z and Millennial customers. Three growth engines are driving eBay: advertising revenue approaching $2 billion annually, recommerce accounting for 40% of GMV, and the strategic Depop acquisition. However, some Q4 growth was commodity-driven and cyclical, gross margins declined, and the Depop deal is expected to dilute EPS until 2028.

KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Ashley Owens maintains a Sector Weight rating on Etsy after the company agreed to sell Depop to eBay for $1.2 billion. While the sale allows Etsy to focus on its core marketplace and return capital to shareholders, Owens remains cautious about Etsy's ability to revive core GMS growth, which remains unproven.

U.S. stocks declined Thursday as President Trump hinted at potential military intervention in Iran, boosting crude oil to 7-month highs. The S&P 500 fell 0.3%, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones each dropped 0.5%. Energy stocks surged 0.8% while financials lagged. Notable movers included Occidental Petroleum jumping 9% on earnings beat, Booking Holdings falling 7%, and Deere & Company gaining 12.6% for its best day since March 2020.

U.S. stock futures declined on Thursday as escalating US-Iran tensions pushed oil prices higher and the Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes revealed disagreements on interest rates. Despite market expectations for two rate cuts by year-end, the CME FedWatch tool shows a 94% probability of unchanged rates in March. Key stocks in focus include DoorDash (up on positive guidance), eBay (up on strong earnings and Depop acquisition), and Walmart (down ahead of earnings).

eBay announced the acquisition of secondhand fashion marketplace Depop from Etsy for approximately $1.2 billion in cash, signaling aggressive expansion into the fast-growing recommerce space targeting younger demographics. The deal was accompanied by strong Q4 2025 earnings with revenue of $3 billion (15% YoY growth), adjusted EPS of $1.41 beating expectations, and GMV of $21.2 billion. eBay shares surged over 8% in after-hours trading, with the company also raising its dividend by 7% and authorizing an additional $2 billion for share repurchases.

Etsy shares surged 14.83% in after-hours trading following the announcement of a definitive agreement to sell its fashion marketplace Depop to eBay for approximately $1.2 billion in cash. Etsy plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, share repurchases, and core marketplace investments. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2026 and has been unanimously approved by both boards.