PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Price Target Lowered to $45.00 at Sanford C. Bernstein

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) had its price objective lowered by Sanford C. Bernstein from $62.00 to $45.00 in a research report released on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the credit services provider’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on PayPal from $71.00 to $69.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of PayPal in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Daiwa Securities Group cut shares of PayPal from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $77.00 to $61.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Citizens Jmp restated a “market perform” rating on shares of PayPal in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded PayPal to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirty have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $62.46.

PayPal Price Performance

PYPL opened at $41.15 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $56.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $64.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.89 billion, a PE ratio of 7.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.43. PayPal has a 52 week low of $38.88 and a 52 week high of $79.50. 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 (NASDAQ:PYPL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The credit services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.06). PayPal had a return on equity of 25.42% and a net margin of 15.77%.The company had revenue of $8.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that PayPal will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

PayPal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. PayPal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Suzan Kereere sold 4,162 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.84, for a total transaction of $249,054.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 30,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,854,022.72. This trade represents a 11.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Frank Keller sold 3,478 shares of PayPal stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.20, for a total transaction of $139,815.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 51,567 shares in the company, valued at $2,072,993.40. This trade represents a 6.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PayPal

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. MUFG Securities EMEA plc raised its stake in shares of PayPal by 100.4% during the 2nd quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 385 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 87,524 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PayPal in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in PayPal during the third quarter worth $30,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in PayPal during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in PayPal by 285.3% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 524 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.32% of the company’s stock.

More PayPal News

Here are the key news stories impacting PayPal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish pieces argue the stock is oversold and present buying opportunities, which can attract value‑oriented investors and short‑covering demand. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Another Seeking Alpha piece lays out why the recent sell‑off may be overextended and highlights what could drive a rebound, supporting short‑term buying interest. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks flags PYPL as a trending/most‑watched stock, which can boost trading volume but doesn’t change fundamentals. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Argus trimmed its price target to $65 — a reduction but still above current levels; this is mixed news (smaller long‑term signal than the larger cuts below). Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein slashed its price target to $45 and moved to Market Perform, reducing analyst support and adding downward pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald cut its target to $42 and kept a Neutral rating, further trimming expectations and limiting near‑term upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: PayPal is facing an active securities investigation announced by Levi & Korsinsky, which raises legal/financial risk and can prolong volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: An EVP, Frank Keller, sold ~3,478 shares (~6.3% reduction in his position) — insider selling can be read negatively even if not large relative to total float. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Critical commentary asks how PayPal can turn its business around, reflecting investor concern about execution and growth — a sentiment headwind. Read More.

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.