Ebay performed slightly better than expected in the second quarter, reporting $2.1bn in revenue as its core marketplace business stabilised and business at PayPal and Skype picked up.

Ebay, the US’s most-visited e-commerce site and a company that has previously thrived during tough economic times, has been hit hard by this financial crisis. As consumer spending dipped, the site saw visitors and page views decline. At the same time, buyers and sellers grew dissatisfied with an increasingly unpredictable auction experience.