The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Sells 53,219 Shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lowered its position in shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) by 9.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 482,891 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 53,219 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned 0.05% of PayPal worth $21,841,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in PYPL. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PayPal in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in PayPal by 15,233.3% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 460 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 457 shares in the last quarter. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new stake in PayPal in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in PayPal during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Advocate Investing Services LLC bought a new stake in PayPal during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. 68.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at PayPal

In other PayPal news, insider Frank Keller sold 4,612 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.54, for a total value of $196,194.48. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,567 shares in the company, valued at $1,768,260.18. The trade was a 9.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Chris Natali sold 1,337 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.10, for a total transaction of $77,679.70. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,216 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $128,749.60. This represents a 37.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 10,612 shares of company stock worth $484,534 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PYPL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded PayPal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on PayPal from $48.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group set a $45.00 target price on shares of PayPal in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of PayPal in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Argus set a $70.00 price objective on shares of PayPal in a research report on Wednesday. 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.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $55.50.

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 Stock Performance

PYPL opened at $57.21 on Friday. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.46 and a 12-month high of $79.21. The stock has a market cap of $48.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.81, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.33. The business has a 50 day moving average of $47.03 and a 200-day moving average of $47.09. 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 issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The credit services provider reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 24.39% and a net margin of 14.36%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.40 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. 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 10.59%.

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.