PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Loop Capital

Analysts at Loop Capital started coverage on shares of PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) in a research report issued on Tuesday. The brokerage set a “hold” rating and a $46.00 price target on the credit services provider’s stock. Loop Capital’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 2.98% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of PayPal in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $48.00 target price for the company. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of PayPal in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Citigroup dropped their target price on PayPal from $60.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on PayPal from $91.00 to $59.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens decreased their price target on shares of PayPal from $65.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PayPal currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.11.

PayPal Stock Performance

Shares of PYPL stock opened at $44.67 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.29. PayPal has a 52 week low of $38.46 and a 52 week high of $79.50. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $46.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.83. The company has a market capitalization of $41.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.43.

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The credit services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.06). PayPal had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The company had revenue of $8.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that PayPal will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Chris Natali sold 2,208 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.73, for a total value of $98,763.84. Following the completion of the transaction, 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Suzan Kereere sold 37,613 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.49, for a total transaction of $1,560,563.37. Following the transaction, the insider owned 30,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,285,484.67. The trade was a 54.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 87,608 shares of company stock valued at $3,831,535 in the last 90 days. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in PayPal in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in PayPal in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PayPal in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 457 shares during the period. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new position in shares of PayPal during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. 68.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PayPal News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PayPal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shares rose as the broader market dipped, with traders favoring PayPal’s relative strength and short-term momentum. Paypal (PYPL) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Positive Sentiment: Venmo continues to be a growth engine — TPV and revenues are rising, the user base topped 100M, and PayPal is pushing Venmo into ~90 international markets, supporting longer-term monetization hopes. PayPal Expands Venmo: Will It Become a Global Commerce Engine?
• Neutral Sentiment: PYPL is drawing elevated investor attention and screening activity on financial sites, which can amplify intraday moves but is not a directional fundamental. PayPal Expands Venmo: Will It Become a Global Commerce Engine?
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple securities firms have filed or alerted investors to class actions alleging PayPal misled shareholders after a surprise CEO ouster and the withdrawal of long-term targets; plaintiffs point to statements about branded checkout growth and product readiness. These coordinated filings and an April 20 lead‑plaintiff deadline increase legal overhang and could pressure the stock. PYPL SHAREHOLDER NOTICE: Hagens Berman Alerts PayPal (PYPL) Investors to Securities Class Action Following CEO Ouster and $10B Market Cap Wipeout PYPL Investors Have Opportunity to Lead PayPal Holdings, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit with the Schall Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny around crypto enforcement is in flux after recent SEC actions and leadership changes; a Senate probe highlights uncertainty that could affect PayPal’s crypto/stablecoin expansion plans and related revenue streams. Senator Blumenthal Probes SEC Crypto Case Pullback After Enforcement Chief’s Sudden Exit

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.