Soft Guidance at eBay

In this regard, its rationale for the Skype acquisition last year remains to be justified.

Meanwhile, eBay's crucial oversees efforts remain mixed, and its eventual triumph in those markets is anything but certain. "People often consider eBay as a safe internet stock, but that is based on the assumption that they will be able to do what they did domestically in international markets," says Pyykkonnen. "They may end up as a player internationally, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to lock down those markets the way they did at home."