Renaissance Technologies LLC Purchases New Shares in PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 193,200 shares of the credit services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $8,738,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PayPal during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of PayPal in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in PayPal by 15,233.3% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 460 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 457 shares during the period. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new position in PayPal in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Advocate Investing Services LLC purchased a new position in PayPal during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.32% of the company’s stock.

PayPal Price Performance

NASDAQ:PYPL opened at $57.21 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $47.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.02. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $38.46 and a 12 month high of $79.21. The firm has a market cap of $48.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The credit services provider reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $8.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.47 billion. PayPal had a return on equity of 24.39% and a net margin of 14.36%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.40 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that PayPal Holdings, Inc. will post 5.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PayPal Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. PayPal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.59%.

PayPal News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PayPal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PayPal’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings per share of $1.38 versus the $1.28 consensus and revenue of $8.68 billion versus $8.47 billion expected. Management also raised its full-year outlook, citing improving branded checkout, Venmo expansion and cost savings. PayPal Shares Pause as Raised Guidance Validates Turnaround Narrative
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets following the earnings report, including JPMorgan, TD Cowen, Citigroup and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. The targets—ranging from the mid-$50s to $70—suggest some analysts see additional upside if PayPal sustains its operational improvements. JPMorgan Analyst Says PayPal Stock Could Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Value-focused commentary highlights PYPL’s relatively low earnings multiple, arguing that the valuation could provide support if the company converts its stronger guidance into consistent growth. PayPal: A Steal At Less Than 10x Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains mixed. Canaccord Genuity maintained a hold rating, while Wells Fargo increased its target to $56 but kept an equal-weight rating. The broader brokerage consensus remains “hold,” reflecting improved results but limited confidence in PayPal’s longer-term growth trajectory. Canaccord Gives PayPal a Hold Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Speculation about takeover interest, including a reported bid involving Stripe and Advent International, could support valuation, but no transaction is confirmed and investors remain focused on PayPal’s standalone turnaround. Is Takeout Target PayPal a Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish analysis says PayPal’s substantial share-repurchase program has not translated into sustained stock-price gains, underscoring skepticism about capital allocation and the company’s growth prospects. PayPal’s $17 Billion Bet Against Wall Street
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor margin pressure, branded-checkout execution and PayPal’s slower growth relative to major payments peers. Two insiders also sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans; the sales are relatively small but may add modest near-term caution. PayPal Insider Selling

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Chris Natali sold 1,337 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.10, for a total value of $77,679.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,216 shares in the company, valued at $128,749.60. This represents a 37.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Frank Keller sold 732 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.10, for a total transaction of $42,529.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,415,042.70. This represents a 1.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 10,612 shares of company stock valued at $484,534 in the last 90 days. 0.63% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PYPL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Bank of America dropped their price objective on PayPal from $55.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on PayPal in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. They set a “market perform” rating and a $52.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of PayPal from $46.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of PayPal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of PayPal in a report on Friday, May 8th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PayPal currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.50.

PayPal Company Profile

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.