EBay last night trimmed its full-year revenue forecast, signalling a weaker than expected Christmas shopping season for the e-commerce company.
The cut comes as the company prepares to split from its fast-growing payments arm, PayPal.
EBay's report comes as weak economic data from the US and China fan fears of a global slowdown, forcing investors to re-examine the world economy only just emerging from one of the worst recessions in history.
US retail sales, which account for about one-third of consumer spending, recorded their first decline since January last month.
Some analysts expressed concern over eBay's marketplaces division, which grew less than some forecast.
They also said that eBay's notable exposure to Europe might have also played a role in depressing its outlook.
EBay said it earned 68 cents per share in the third quarter, in line with the average analyst estimate of 67 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters.
The results comes weeks after eBay announced it was spinning off its PayPal payments unit next year.
EBay also last night cut its full-year revenue outlook to between $17.85 billion and $17.95 billion from its previous range of $18 billion to $18.3 billion.
The company also forecast fourth-quarter revenue of less than $5 billion, falling short of the $5.2 billion expected by Wall Street.
EBay said it is now expecting fourth-quarter earnings per share between 88 cents and 91 cents, while Wall Street expects 91 cents.
