Brokerages Set PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) Price Target at $58.43
by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets DailyPayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL – Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the forty-five research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirty-one have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $58.1053.
A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of PayPal in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of PayPal in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Mizuho set a $60.00 price target on PayPal in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $44.00 price objective on shares of PayPal in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Loop Capital assumed coverage on shares of PayPal in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “hold” rating and a $46.00 target price on the stock.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on PayPal
Key Headlines Impacting PayPal
Here are the key news stories impacting PayPal this week:
- Positive Sentiment: PayPal announced a $400M push to revive branded checkout and restore growth — management is prioritizing product investment and monetization to regain merchant traction, which could help revenue and GMV if successful. PayPal (PYPL) Invests $400M to Revive Checkout Growth
- Positive Sentiment: PayPal is among firms racing to embed stablecoins into cross‑border flows — this could open lower‑cost rails and new revenue streams if regulatory headwinds are navigated. Progress here supports long‑term growth optionality beyond core checkout. Stablecoins roll on as rules evolve
- Neutral Sentiment: Loop Capital initiated coverage with a Hold and a $46 target, highlighting execution risk and margin pressure — that keeps analyst sentiment cautious and sets a near‑term reference price for investors. Loop Capital initiates coverage of PayPal Holdings (PYPL) with hold recommendation
- Negative Sentiment: Profile piece (LA Times) underscores a slowdown in branded checkout and rising competition from Apple/Google; with a new CEO in place, the story frames PayPal at a strategic inflection that increases near‑term execution risk and investor skepticism. PayPal transformed digital payments. Why the California fintech giant is now struggling
- Negative Sentiment: Multiple securities class actions have been filed after the surprise CEO change and withdrawal of long‑term targets; several firms are seeking lead plaintiffs and deadlines are imminent — this raises legal expense, distraction risk and potential settlements. Labaton Keller Sucharow LLP Announces Expanded Securities Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against PayPal Holdings, Inc. and Certain Executives
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst/market notes highlight CEO exit, board changes, insider selling and a stretched valuation debate — these governance and sentiment issues are pressuring the stock multiple and increasing volatility. A Look At PayPal Holdings (PYPL) Valuation After CEO Exit Board Change And New Lawsuit
PayPal Price Performance
PayPal stock opened at $45.34 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $41.74 billion, a PE ratio of 8.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.40. PayPal has a 52-week low of $38.46 and a 52-week high of $79.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company’s 50 day moving average is $45.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.50.
PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The credit services provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $8.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.82 billion. PayPal had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that PayPal will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.
PayPal Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 4th. PayPal’s payout ratio is 10.35%.
Insider Buying and Selling at PayPal
In other news, EVP Frank Keller sold 29,581 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.02, for a total value of $1,361,317.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 51,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,373,113.34. This trade represents a 36.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Chris Natali sold 2,208 shares of PayPal stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.73, for a total transaction of $98,763.84. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,140 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,992.20. This trade represents a 65.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 87,608 shares of company stock valued at $3,831,535. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in PayPal during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in PayPal during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in PayPal during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of PayPal by 15,233.3% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 460 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PayPal during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. 68.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
About PayPal
PayPal Holdings, Inc operates a global digital payments platform that enables consumers and merchants to send and receive payments online, on mobile devices and at the point of sale. The company provides a broad set of payment solutions, including a digital wallet, merchant payment processing, checkout services, invoicing and fraud-management tools. PayPal’s platform is designed to support e-commerce, in-person retail and person-to-person transfers, targeting both individual consumers and businesses of varying sizes.
Key products and services in PayPal’s portfolio include the PayPal wallet and checkout ecosystem, the Venmo peer-to-peer mobile app, Braintree’s developer-focused payment gateway, Xoom for international money transfers, and PayPal Credit and buy-now-pay-later options.