part 7: I would like to share compelling points relating to the HBC equity raise and its use to secure the position of the Holder of Interests, which forced participation in the $BBBYQ third-party release. I hope you like it.
$BBBY
(old).
“It’s similar to Berkshire Hathaway, except what Berkshire did in decades we’re attempting to do in a much shorter time in terms of creating that much value,” said Cohen $BBBYQ $GME
Where to start.
Well I think this might be the most significant earnings report in GameStop history.
There are so many headline numbers of high importance. How do I rank them.
#1 Revenue beat and increase YoY. This can finally be crossed off the bear thesis side of the sheet for whoever still maintains it. On fewer stores than ever. Incredible turn.
#2 Margin. No scratch that - UPDATED THE SHARE REPURCHASE AUTHORIZATION TO $2 BILLION. LET'S GO. Almost 3.5 years ago I asked the board for this. And while, yes, we did sell shares two years ago at $20, we can afford to start buying back shares now, because...
#3 $389.6m in net income for the quarter. Extrapolate that out. GameStop can make $1.6b a year now. That new share repurchase authorization? Paid for in 5 quarters. This is how the story began, the large share repurchase in 2019. Maybe this story just starts over again right here this year.
#4 $143.3m in operating income. OPERATING INCOME. That means not only is the inner shell of the company (cash) expanding, but the second level (operation) is expanding and could soon break out with a new multiple as margin grows and TTM EPS grows. This is very good news for the quarters to come.
Excited to see the 10Q. Hope you all have a great evening. Let's go GameStop!
@ftwbiz More cash
1. Less likely for shareholders to sell shares
2. More likely for shareholders to buy more shares
3. Both 1 and 2 contribute to higher price per share
4. Cash derived from fraud, taxes might not be collected depending on location
Similarities between eBay and the former Bed Bath and Beyond
Share BuyBacks:
- BBBY spent upwards of $11.5 billion in share buybacks in the years prior to bankruptcy.
- Between 2021 - 2025 eBay spent $11 - $12 billion on share buybacks.
- The Board and the C Suite of both companies benefited immensely from these programs.
- Buybacks reduce shares outstanding, inflating earnings per share (EPS) and other per share metrics. Many executive incentive plans (bonuses, long term incentives) tie payouts to these metrics.
- Buybacks often create temporary upward pressure thus incressing the value of restricted stock units (RSU’s), performance shares and options help by executives and directors. It also improves conditions for selling vested shares.
- Executives sold shortly after buyback announcements, capitalizing on any price jump. Sales can be 5x higher in this scenario.
- Essentially both the former BBBY and eBay used the company piggy bank to enrich themselves via share buybacks rather then allocating those enormous sums for research and development programs necessary to grow the platform into the 21st century.
Executive Turnover:
- BBBY ousted long-time CEO Steven Tamares in 2019 amid activist pressure, bringing in outsider Mark Tritton.
- eBay saw CEO David Wenig out in 2019k, replaced by Jaime Iannone in 2020
- Turnover appeared throughout the C Suite in both companies with BBBY replacing Tritton with Sue Gove then Holly Etlin. CFO Gustovo Arnal tragically lost to suicide amidst insider turmoil and more.
- eBay saw multiple CFO changes (Steve Priest departing 2025, Peggy Alford in), product/ engineering reshuffles (e.g. Eddie Garcia out, combined roles under Jordan Sweetman and Mazen Rawashdeh in 2025) and board refreshment (new directors like Brian Sharples in 2026).
Executive Failures:
- Trittion pushed a private label heavy stategy that alienated customers who wanted national brands, hurt vendor relationships and failed to reverse sales decline.
- eBay under Iannone has pursued marketplace enhancements, AI initiates, acquisitions, divestitures and vehicle/col lectibles pushes yet growth has stagnated sigificantly throughout his tenure.
- eBay and Bed Bath and Beyond were both slow to adapt to eCommerce innovations. BBBY clung to Brick and Mortar as it’s direct competitors went online while eBay has failed to innovate while it’s competitors streamline the online shopping experience.
Executive Compensation:
-Tritton and the C Suite received high pay packages (Trisson alone received tens of millions of dollars over a few years, much of which was equity linked). Buybacks specifically aided his incentive packages during the time as he oversaw the downfall of a once great American brand. The Board approved these amid the buyback program.
- CEO Jaime Iannone’s compensation is heavily equity based (often $20M to $28M+ annually with most in stock awards and performance incentives). Buybacks support EPS and stock price directly. Enhancing the value of his RSU’s, performance shares and holdings.
Board Role:
- The BBBY Board oversaw the aggressive buyback program that inflated Executive Compensation but left the company extremely vulnerable as a result. Directors saw their equity holdings gain significantly as a result of the very catastrophic program they approved.
- eBay Directors receive fees plus equity meaning they benefit from buybacks in the same exact way the BBBY board did.
Ryan Cohen
- Both BBBY and eBay attracted activist pressure from Ryan Cohen
- After selling his activist position in BBBY prior ro bankruptcy Ryan Cohen entered into a cooperation agreement with the Board, keeping three of his chosen members on and promising to hold the remainder accountable should they fail to act as fiduciary stewards of the company. An opaque Chapter 11 process suggests he has been quietly doing just that, leaving him the perfect tax deferrable shell to serve as the foundation of an ultra modern holding company that will become the template to free and fair trade in the fast arriving blockchain and AI era of commerce.
Will the eBay board suffer a similar fate or will they learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. Time will tell.
@milkpowder44@dirtevader That date is a placeholder and gets pushed every year. With that said I think we see recovery before year end, and likely within a couple of months