Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Invests $1.28 Million in PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

Key Points

• Ameritas Advisory Services purchased 29,605 PayPal shares worth approximately $1.28 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 68.32% of PayPal’s outstanding stock.
• PayPal reported quarterly earnings of $1.38 per share and revenue of $8.68 billion, exceeding analyst expectations; revenue increased 4.8% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share, while analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $56.03.

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 29,605 shares of the credit services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,278,000.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in PayPal during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of PayPal during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Robinswood Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PayPal in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 457 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of PayPal in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 68.32% of the company's stock.

PayPal Stock Performance

PayPal stock opened at $53.31 on Friday. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.46 and a 12-month high of $79.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The business's 50-day moving average price is $55.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $48.99. The stock has a market cap of $45.60 billion, a PE ratio of 10.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.28.

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The credit services provider reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.10. PayPal had a net margin of 14.36% and a return on equity of 24.39%. The firm had revenue of $8.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.40 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that PayPal Holdings, Inc. will post 5.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PayPal Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. PayPal's dividend payout ratio is presently 10.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on PayPal from $46.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup upped their target price on PayPal from $48.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Mizuho set a $51.00 target price on PayPal in a report on Friday, August 28th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded PayPal from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised PayPal from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirty-four have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $56.03.

Insider Buying and Selling at PayPal

In other PayPal news, insider Frank Keller sold 4,612 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.43, for a total transaction of $255,643.16. Following the sale, the insider owned 41,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,304,058.81. The trade was a 9.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.72, for a total transaction of $188,277.88. Following the transaction, the insider owned 30,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,726,372.76. This trade represents a 9.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 14,774 shares of company stock worth $848,095 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company's stock.

PayPal News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PayPal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PayPal, M0 and MoonPay launched PYUSDx, a developer platform that allows businesses to create financial products and customized digital-dollar offerings using PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin. Three projects have already processed more than $100 million, offering a potential new source of payments and stablecoin-related growth. PayPal Debuts Developer Platform Tied to PYUSD Stablecoin
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Enrique Lores defended keeping PayPal as one company rather than splitting it up, while outlining three focused business lines. The plan includes greater emphasis on Venmo and Braintree growth and approximately $1.5 billion in cost savings, which could improve efficiency and margins. PayPal CEO Reveals Business Model Shift
• Positive Sentiment: PayPal’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with $1.38 in earnings per share and $8.68 billion in revenue. Combined with stablecoin expansion and a low P/E ratio, these factors support the view that the shares may have recovery potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: Lores said PayPal is keeping its options open amid buyout speculation, but he pushed back against selling the company cheaply. The comments may revive takeover interest, although no transaction has been announced. PayPal Keeping Options Open Amid Buyout Rumors
• Neutral Sentiment: Chief Accounting Officer Chris Natali sold 552 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The relatively small, scheduled transaction is a limited signal about management’s current outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to warn that PayPal faces formidable competition, slowing growth and execution challenges. The stock remains roughly 30% below its 52-week high, leaving investors focused on whether the turnaround can produce sustained transaction and user growth. Is PayPal Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold

PayPal Profile

PayPal Holdings, Inc is a digital payments and financial technology company that operates a global platform for consumers and businesses. Its services enable customers to send and receive money, make purchases online and in stores, and accept payments through digital checkout solutions. PayPal supports transactions using linked bank accounts, debit and credit cards, stored balances and other payment methods.

The company's consumer and merchant offerings include the PayPal wallet, PayPal Checkout, PayPal Zettle point-of-sale tools, PayPal Braintree payment processing and PayPal Complete Payments.

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