Empowered Funds LLC Has $5.23 Million Stake in PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

Empowered Funds LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) by 72.1% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 115,556 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 298,660 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in PayPal were worth $5,227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Maia Wealth LLC boosted its stake in PayPal by 2.5% in the third quarter. Maia Wealth LLC now owns 6,404 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $424,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of PayPal by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 3,214 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $216,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of PayPal by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 25,937 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,173,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. KPP Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of PayPal by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. KPP Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,625 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $300,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares during the period. Finally, Leo Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of PayPal by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Leo Wealth LLC now owns 3,564 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $208,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. 68.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PayPal Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ PYPL opened at $57.21 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $47.03 and its 200-day moving average is $47.09. The stock has a market cap of $48.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.33. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $38.46 and a twelve month high of $79.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

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

PayPal Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other PayPal news, insider Frank Keller sold 732 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.10, for a total value of $42,529.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 41,567 shares in the company, valued at $2,415,042.70. This represents a 1.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Suzan Kereere sold 3,379 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.79, for a total value of $144,587.41. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 30,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,325,762.57. This represents a 9.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 10,612 shares of company stock worth $484,534 over the last ninety days. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about PayPal

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Telsey Advisory Group lowered PayPal to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Clear Str upgraded PayPal to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on PayPal from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of PayPal in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded PayPal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.