eBay warns investors: Don't expect 'em to stuff stockings with our tat

Shares in eBay tumbled in after-hours trading on Wall Street, after the online tat bazaar coughed to a "cautious outlook" for the holiday season in the US.

The company alerted investors that it could face a difficult Christmas period and partly blamed the government shutdown for a potential slump in sales.

Wall Street reacted by pushing eBay stock down more than 5 per cent to $50.69 on the Nasdaq exchange.

It reported third quarter sales of $3.89bn, up 14 per cent compared with the same period in 2012. Net income hit $689m during Q3, eBay said.

But it has warned that trading conditions during its fourth quarter, which includes the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, could be tough.

As a result, eBay said it expected to see revenues of between $4.5bn and $4.6bn during Q4 - a figure that misses analyst expectations, according to Reuters.

Despite that, eBay said: "We are maintaining our full year guidance, and expect to be at the lower end of the range for top and bottom line." ®