The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Has $21.84 Million Stock Holdings in PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company decreased its position in shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) by 9.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 482,891 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 53,219 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in PayPal were worth $21,841,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of PayPal in the fourth quarter valued at about $949,758,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in PayPal by 6.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 5,534,462 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in PayPal by 355.1% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 4,967,170 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $224,665,000 after purchasing an additional 3,875,688 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in PayPal by 143.4% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,089,586 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $297,130,000 after purchasing an additional 2,998,286 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in PayPal by 65.9% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,123,978 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $231,757,000 after purchasing an additional 2,035,268 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.32% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on PYPL. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of PayPal in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded PayPal from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group set a $45.00 price objective on PayPal in a report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group lowered PayPal to a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price target on PayPal from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Nine equities 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $55.50.

PayPal Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of PYPL opened at $57.21 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.26. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $38.46 and a one year high of $79.21. The company has a market cap of $48.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.33.

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

PayPal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. PayPal’s dividend payout ratio is currently 10.59%.

Key PayPal News

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

Insider Activity at PayPal

In related news, 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $1,325,762.57. This trade represents a 9.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Chris Natali sold 1,337 shares of PayPal stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.10, for a total value of $77,679.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 2,216 shares in the company, valued at approximately $128,749.60. This represents a 37.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 10,612 shares of company stock valued at $484,534 over the last ninety days. 0.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.