Gabelli Funds LLC Sells 14,380 Shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

Gabelli Funds LLC decreased its position in PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) by 75.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,750 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 14,380 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in PayPal were worth $215,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in PayPal during the 4th quarter worth approximately $949,758,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in PayPal by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 90,376,927 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $5,276,205,000 after buying an additional 5,534,462 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of PayPal by 355.1% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 4,967,170 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $224,665,000 after buying an additional 3,875,688 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of PayPal by 143.4% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,089,586 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $297,130,000 after buying an additional 2,998,286 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of PayPal by 65.9% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,123,978 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $231,757,000 after buying an additional 2,035,268 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.32% of the company’s stock.

PayPal Price Performance

PYPL stock opened at $57.21 on Friday. 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 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 P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.33. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $47.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.09.

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

PayPal Announces Dividend

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 dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. PayPal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped 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. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of PayPal in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of PayPal in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial raised shares of PayPal from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $44.00 to $57.00 in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of PayPal from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, PayPal presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $55.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Chris Natali sold 1,337 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.10, for a total transaction of $77,679.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 2,216 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $128,749.60. The trade was a 37.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Suzan Kereere sold 3,379 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 owned 30,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,325,762.57. This represents a 9.83% 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 sold 10,612 shares of company stock worth $484,534 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

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 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.