PayPal (PYPL) Shares Closed at $69.85 on Friday, 25.4% Below the 52-Week High

PayPal PYPL shares closed at $69.85 on Friday, 25.4% below the 52-week high of $93.66 it hit on Dec. 9, 2024. PayPal shares have dropped 18.1% year to date (YTD)

PayPal (PYPL) shares closed Friday, 25.4% below the 52-week high of $93.66 it hit on Dec. 9. The stock has dropped 18.1% year to date (YTD).

The stock's poor performance can be attributed to several factors, including intensifying competition in the fintech industry from the likes of Visa (V), Mastercard (MA), Apple Pay, Adyen and others. A challenging macroeconomic environment and uncertainty over higher tariffs on trade partners, China, Canada and Mexico, has been an overhang on the stock.

PayPal stock has also underperformed its closest peers, Visa and Mastercard. While shares of Visa have returned 11.9%, Mastercard shares have gained 7.1% over the same timeframe.

PYPL Stock’s Performance

However, PayPal’s impressive first-quarter 2025 results, reported on April 29, have helped the stock recover somewhat. Since April 29, PYPL shares have increased 5.3%, outperforming Visa’s and Mastercard’s 3.5% and 4.4%, respectively.

PayPal reported non-GAAP earnings of $1.33 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15.65% and jumped 23.1% year over year. Net revenues of $7.79 billion increased 1.2% year over year on a reported basis and 2% on a forex-neutral basis.

More importantly, PayPal’s total payment volume increased 3% year over year on a reported basis and 4% on a forex-neutral basis to $417.2 billion. Transaction margin in dollar terms was $3.7 billion, up more than 7% on a reported basis.

PayPal Shares Trading Cheap

PayPal shares are trading cheap, as suggested by the Value Score of B.

In terms of forward 12-month P/E, PYPL stock is trading at 13.15X compared with the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry’s 22.78X. The stock is cheaper than competitors, including Visa and Mastercard. Shares of Visa and Mastercard are currently trading at P/E ratios of 28.79X and 33.07X, respectively.

PYPL’s P/E Ratio (F12M)

PayPal shares are trading below the 50-day moving average, indicating a bullish trend.

PYPL Shares Trade Above 50-Day SMA

Although PayPal’s strong guidance and cheap valuation are noteworthy, are the shares worth buying at current prices? Let’s dig deep to find out.

Earnings Estimate Revision Trend Positive for PYPL

For 2025, PayPal still anticipates non-GAAP earnings between $4.95 per share and $5.10 per share. For second-quarter 2025, PYPL expects non-GAAP earnings between $1.29 per share and $1.31 per share.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings is pegged at $5.08 per share, up by 2% over the past 30 days, suggesting 9.25% growth over 2024. The consensus mark for second-quarter 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.28 per share, up 6.7% over the past 30 days, suggesting 7.56% growth over the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.

PayPal Holdings, Inc. Price and Consensus

PayPal Holdings, Inc. price-consensus-chart | PayPal Holdings, Inc. Quote

PYPL’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 14.01%.

PYPL’s Strong Portfolio, Rich Partner Base to Aid Prospects

PayPal’s transformation from a payments company to an end-to-end strategic commerce partner for its merchants is noteworthy. Portfolio strength has been helping the company maintain deep and trusted relationships with merchants and consumers. Its two-sided platform helps develop direct financial relationships with customers and merchants. PYPL’s investments in improving branded checkout and Venmo helped in driving total active accounts, which increased 2% year over year to 436 in the first quarter of 2025.

PayPal’s strategic initiatives, including omnichannel commerce, both online branded checkout and offline branded payment methods, Venmo and Payment service provider, are expected to drive transaction margin dollars. PayPal expects transaction margin dollars between $15.2 billion and $15.4 billion, suggesting growth in the 4-5% range for 2025. The company remains on track to launch NFC capabilities in Germany later this quarter and bring PayPal everywhere to the United Kingdom in the