Stock Analysis on Net

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)

$22.49

This company has been moved to the archive! The financial data has not been updated since October 24, 2019.

Analysis of Bad Debts

Microsoft Excel

Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable (bad debts) is a contra account which reduce the balance of the company gross accounts receivable. The relationship between the allowance and the balance in receivables should be relatively constant unless there is a change in the economy overall or a change in customer base.

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Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable

Microsoft Excel
Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Dec 31, 2016 Dec 31, 2015 Dec 31, 2014
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Allowance for doubtful accounts and authorized credits
Accounts receivable, gross
Financial Ratio
Allowance as a percentage of accounts receivable, gross1

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2014-12-31).

1 2018 Calculation
Allowance as a percentage of accounts receivable, gross = 100 × Allowance for doubtful accounts and authorized credits ÷ Accounts receivable, gross
= 100 × ÷ =


Allowance for doubtful accounts and authorized credits
The allowance amount shows a fluctuating trend over the examined period. It started at $102 million in 2014, decreased steadily to $81 million in 2016, then increased again to $106 million by 2018. This suggests variability in the company's estimation of potential credit losses.
Accounts receivable, gross
The gross accounts receivable exhibited a declining trend in the first three years, decreasing from $899 million in 2014 to $673 million in 2016. However, from 2016 onwards, the amounts increased, reaching $818 million in 2018. This pattern indicates a period of reduction followed by growth in receivables.
Allowance as a percentage of accounts receivable, gross
This ratio consistently increased over the five years, starting at 11.35% in 2014 and rising steadily to 12.96% in 2018. The upward trend implies that the proportion of doubtful accounts relative to total receivables has been expanding, indicating a potentially higher risk in the collectability of receivables despite fluctuations in their absolute amounts.