North Star Asset Management Inc. Has $14.67 Million Stake in PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL)

Key Points

• North Star Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in PayPal Holdings, Inc. by 3.3% during the first quarter, bringing their total investment to $14.67 million.
• Insider trading activity included sales by Suzan Kereere and Deborah M. Messemer, decreasing their ownership stakes by 7.91% and 21.36% respectively.
• PayPal's recent quarterly earnings exceeded expectations, reporting $1.40 EPS against a forecast of $1.30, along with revenues of $8.29 billion.

North Star Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL - Free Report) by 3.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 224,838 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 7,176 shares during the period. North Star Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in PayPal were worth $14,671,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in PayPal during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hurley Capital LLC bought a new position in PayPal in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Evermay Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of PayPal by 726.0% in the first quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC now owns 413 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 363 shares during the period. Garde Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PayPal during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC boosted its position in shares of PayPal by 81.6% during the first quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 445 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. 68.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

PayPal Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of PayPal stock traded down $1.74 on Wednesday, hitting $69.71. 20,738,048 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,734,490. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $55.85 and a 12-month high of $93.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The company has a market cap of $67.80 billion, a PE ratio of 14.90, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $73.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.66.

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The credit services provider reported $1.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.10. PayPal had a return on equity of 25.35% and a net margin of 14.49%. The firm had revenue of $8.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that PayPal Holdings, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PYPL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on PayPal in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They set an "in-line" rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of PayPal from $80.00 to $74.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $96.00 price target on shares of PayPal in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of PayPal in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised PayPal from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $84.10.

Insider Activity at PayPal

In related news, Director Deborah M. Messemer sold 3,795 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $277,035.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 13,976 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,020,248. This trade represents a 21.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Diego Scotti sold 3,839 shares of PayPal stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.24, for a total transaction of $281,168.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,989 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,244,274.36. This trade represents a 18.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 11,796 shares of company stock valued at $863,028. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About PayPal

PayPal Holdings, Inc operates a technology platform that enables digital payments on behalf of merchants and consumers worldwide. It operates a two-sided network at scale that connects merchants and consumers that enables its customers to connect, transact, and send and receive payments through online and in person, as well as transfer and withdraw funds using various funding sources, such as bank accounts, PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products comprising its installment products, credit and debit cards, and cryptocurrencies, as well as other stored value products, including gift cards and eligible rewards.