National Pension Service Increases Stock Holdings in PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

National Pension Service lifted its position in shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,855,897 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after buying an additional 51,268 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in PayPal were worth $191,516,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in PayPal during the second quarter worth about $27,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc grew its position in shares of PayPal by 100.4% in the second quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 385 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 87,524 shares during the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of PayPal during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of PayPal during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of PayPal during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. 68.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PYPL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen lowered their target price on PayPal from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 price objective (down previously from $93.00) on shares of PayPal in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of PayPal in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Stephens set a $65.00 price target on shares of PayPal in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of PayPal from $76.00 to $74.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PayPal currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.10.

PayPal Stock Down 0.8%

PYPL opened at $52.69 on Friday. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $52.06 and a 12 month high of $90.40. The business has a 50-day moving average of $59.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $49.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.42.

Key Stories Impacting PayPal

Here are the key news stories impacting PayPal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded PayPal, offering a near-term supportive data point that some investors may view as a counterbalance to recent negative analyst actions. PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Upgraded at Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish commentary (The Motley Fool) argues 2026 could be a breakout year for PayPal driven by a large new partnership and product momentum—this is a thematic positive for longer-term investor sentiment. Prediction: 2026 Will Be the Year of PayPal
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and previews emphasize that PayPal’s Q4 earnings (Feb. 3) and forward guidance are the next major catalysts — results could swing the stock either way depending on volumes, margins and guidance. Paypal (PYPL) Q4 Earnings Preview: What You Should Know Beyond the Headline Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighting PayPal’s role in shaping the Nasdaq-100 digital commerce narrative underscores strategic importance but is not an immediate price driver. PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Shapes Nasdaq 100 Index Narrative on Digital Commerce
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro and industry discussions (e.g., bitcoin commentary from a former PayPal executive) are interesting context but have limited direct impact on PYPL near-term performance. Bitcoin Could Hit $1.1 Million To $1.5M, Former PayPal President Says
• Negative Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn downgraded PayPal to a Sell/strong-sell stance — a high-profile downgrade that has been cited as a primary driver of the intraday weakness. Rothschild & Co Redburn Downgrades PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) to Sell
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple firms have trimmed targets or warned on volumes (HSBC cut its price target; Truist lowered its PT and flagged difficult volume comps), increasing downward pressure on consensus expectations. HSBC Lowers PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Price Target to $72.00
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst-driven sell-side momentum has pushed shares to a new 52-week low and produced several short-term sell calls — accelerating the decline and higher trading volume. PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Hits New 52-Week Low on Analyst Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators note a ~23% three?month slide driven by competition, tariffs and rising expenses; while product initiatives offer hope, near-term operational headwinds are pressuring multiples. PayPal Plunges 23.3% in 3 Months: Time to Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Aaron Webster sold 9,282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.29, for a total transaction of $615,303.78. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 35,699 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,366,486.71. The trade was a 20.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Suzan Kereere sold 4,162 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.84, for a total value of $249,054.08. Following the sale, the insider owned 30,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,854,022.72. The trade was a 11.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,944 shares of company stock valued at $1,725,233. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.