The fight between Carl Icahn and eBay about whether or not it would spin off its PayPal business is officially over. PayPal will remain a part of eBay, but the company has named the former CEO of AT&T, David Dorman, to its board of directors, a move which satisfied Icahn.
On Thursday's Investor Beat, host Chris Hill and Motley Fool analyst David Hanson talk eBay, PayPal, and Carl Icahn. David notes how unusual it is for Icahn to back down from a position like this, and thinks eBay and its shareholders should be happy with the fact that this feud will now be out of the headlines.
Then, shares of Pier 1 Imports are up today after the company beat analyst expectations in its fourth-quarter earnings on both the top and bottom lines. Meanwhile, Bed Bath and Beyond shares fell today after guidance for the new fiscal year was weak, with one analyst saying that the company was "searching for meaning." However, David says he just can't get excited about either one of these stocks. He notes that only 4% of Pier 1's sales are online, which is shockingly low considering the retail trends that are rapidly shifting in that direction. David discusses the strategic missteps for both companies, and tells investors why he just isn't interested in either one.
And finally, David tells investors why he's got his eye on Facebook stock ahead of its earnings release in two weeks. Facebook has made headlines a number of times recently with a lot of big-ticket flashy acquisitions, and some investors have started to express concern about the company's capital allocation strategies. David takes a moment in the video to remind investors of one key fact about CEO Mark Zuckerberg that gives him a lot of faith in the company's long-term prospects.
