eBay has enjoyed yet another year of strong results, bolstered by rising PayPal membership numbers and strong Christmas figures, as consumers continue to show a desire to spend online.
eBay’s revenue for the quarter ended December 21, 2011 increased 35 percent to US$3.4 billion. For the full year, revenue jumped 27 percent to US$11.7 billion.
Fourth quarter net income totalled US$2 billion, while full-year net income totalled US$3.2 billion, or $2.46 per diluted share.
The sharp jump in results comes as a result of a strong fourth quarter finish to an excellent year, said eBay president and CEO John Donahoe. According to Donahoe, eBay is “well-positioned to compete in the emerging new retail environment, and to help retailers of all sizes grow and engage their customers anytime, anywhere.”
eBay’s results were driven by a good year in its payments business, with PayPal ending the quarter with 106.3 million active registered accounts, a 13 percent rise year-on-year. On average, the site added a million new accounts each month last year.
Interesting, PayPal’s mobile payment volume reached $4 billion in 2011, more than five times the mobile payment volume in the prior year, as more consumers used their smartphones and tablets to pay online.
eBay’s Marketplaces business also delivered strong fourth quarter performance, with revenue jumping 16 percent.
