What eBay's PayPal Spin-Off Means for Mutual Fund Investors

After months of the highly anticipated announcement, eBay reported on Tuesday morning that it will be spinning of PayPal into a separate publicly traded company.

The spin-off was first brought up nine months ago by activist investor Carl Icahn.

Inside the Spin-Off

eBay trading was halted on Tuesday morning prior to the announcement that the two companies will be splitting.

While eBay insisted that the two companies were better together, the company will now be moving towards a strategy first suggested by Carl Icahn. The separation is expected to be completed in 2015. The news sent shares of eBay soaring on Tuesday morning.

PayPal is expected to have greater potential as its own company, but will face competition from services including Google Wallet and Apple Pay.

Mutual Funds to Watch

eBay will certainly be a highly watched stock as its stock price adjusts to the recently reported news. For mutual fund investors, it is also important to be aware of exposure to eBay. Below is a table containing funds with the most exposure to eBay.

The Bottom Line

Big financial news is always important for mutual fund investors. This announcement has been highly anticipated for months and has the potential to move eBay’s stock price. Mutual fund investors that own the funds listed above should pay close attention to the events that follow.