Groupe la Francaise Sells 18,111 Shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

Groupe la Francaise decreased its holdings in shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) by 17.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 84,962 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 18,111 shares during the quarter. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in PayPal were worth $3,843,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in PayPal during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 457 shares during the period. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC bought a new stake in PayPal in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of PayPal in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Advocate Investing Services LLC bought a new stake in PayPal in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. 68.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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

PayPal Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of PYPL stock opened at $57.21 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $47.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $47.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.26. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.46 and a 1 year high of $79.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.81, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.33.

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

PayPal Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 is 10.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other PayPal news, insider Suzan Kereere sold 3,379 shares of PayPal stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.79, for a total transaction of $144,587.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 30,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,325,762.57. The trade was a 9.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Chris Natali sold 1,337 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,216 shares in the company, valued at approximately $128,749.60. This represents a 37.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,612 shares of company stock valued at $484,534. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on PYPL shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $50.00 price objective on shares of PayPal in a research note on Tuesday. Clear Str raised PayPal to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of PayPal in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Truist Financial raised PayPal from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price target for the company from $44.00 to $57.00 in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on PayPal from $43.50 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirty-four have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.50.

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.