Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Decreases Holdings in PayPal Holdings, Inc. $PYPL

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management trimmed its PayPal stake by 5.0% in Q4, holding 954,795 shares valued at about $55.7 million (roughly 0.10% of the company) after selling 50,519 shares.
• PayPal rolled out PayPal Ads ID, a deterministic ad identifier built on PayPal and Venmo data that could create a new revenue stream, but analysts remain cautious — the stock has a consensus Hold rating (average target $56.55) and recent quarterly results missed EPS and revenue estimates.
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently, disposing of 87,608 shares worth about $3.83 million in the past three months, leaving insiders with roughly 0.63% ownership.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA cut its stake in shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL - Free Report) by 5.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 954,795 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 50,519 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned about 0.10% of PayPal worth $55,745,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in PYPL. Maia Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of PayPal by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Maia Wealth LLC now owns 6,404 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $424,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Transatlantique Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of PayPal by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Transatlantique Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,698 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $382,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Martin & Co. Inc. TN grew its position in shares of PayPal by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Martin & Co. Inc. TN now owns 56,934 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $3,818,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. Harrell Investment Partners LLC grew its position in shares of PayPal by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Harrell Investment Partners LLC now owns 9,185 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $616,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. Finally, RWA Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of PayPal by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. RWA Wealth Partners LLC now owns 25,043 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $1,679,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. 68.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PYPL. Dbs Bank raised shares of PayPal to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Monness Crespi & Hardt downgraded shares of PayPal from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. UBS Group set a $50.00 price target on PayPal in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Wall Street Zen cut PayPal from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a "hold" rating on shares of PayPal in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirty-three have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $56.55.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Suzan Kereere sold 13,515 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.02, for a total transaction of $621,960.30. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 30,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,425,837.66. This represents a 30.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Chris Natali sold 2,208 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.73, for a total transaction of $98,763.84. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,140 shares in the company, valued at $50,992.20. This represents a 65.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 87,608 shares of company stock worth $3,831,535. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key PayPal News

Here are the key news stories impacting PayPal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PayPal formally rolled out PayPal Ads ID, a deterministic advertising identifier built on verified PayPal and Venmo account and purchase data — a move that positions PYPL to monetize transaction data by selling identity and measurement services to advertisers, potentially opening a new revenue stream beyond payments. PayPal (PYPL) Launches Ads ID Days Before New CEO First Earnings Test
• Positive Sentiment: Company press release and industry coverage emphasize PayPal Ads ID as a “commerce‑grade” identity solution that could improve ad targeting and measurement for brands — this strengthens PayPal’s strategic narrative of monetizing transaction data and partnering with ad tech players. PayPal Brings New Commerce-Grade Identity Solution to Advertising Industry
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and outlets are revisiting valuation and trading ideas: some retail-focused pieces outline option/entry strategies and debate whether the multi-month share decline creates a buying opportunity — useful for timing trades but not an immediate fundamental catalyst. How To Buy PayPal Stock 35% Cheaper, Pocket 11% in the Meantime
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlights that PYPL shares have fallen substantially over recent months and discusses medium‑term recovery levers (AI commerce, Venmo expansion, PYUSD rollout) — informative context but not an immediate upside trigger. PYPL Shares Slide 31.4% in 6 Months: Should You Buy the Dip or Sell?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Q1 results to decline and flag that PayPal lacks the two factors (estimates and positive surprises) typically needed for a beat; the quarter is the first major earnings test under new leadership, increasing near‑term execution scrutiny. Earnings Preview: Paypal (PYPL) Q1 Earnings Expected to Decline
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analysis warns that the rise of agentic/AI shopping agents could redirect purchases away from traditional payment rails or change checkout behavior, which would threaten PayPal’s transaction volumes and fee economics over time. PayPal Profit Engine Could Be Threatened By Agentic Shopping Revolution
• Negative Sentiment: Potential regulatory change: the proposed PACE Act would impose registration, reserve and reporting requirements on payment providers; if enacted, such rules could raise compliance and capital costs for PYPL. New Bill: Representative Young Kim introduces H.R. 8395: Payments Access and Consumer Efficiency Act of 2026

PayPal Stock Down 0.3%

PYPL opened at $49.64 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $54.69. PayPal Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $38.46 and a 52 week high of $79.50. The company has a market capitalization of $44.66 billion, a PE ratio of 9.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The credit services provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.06). PayPal had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The company had revenue of $8.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.82 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that PayPal Holdings, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PayPal Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 4th. PayPal's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.35%.

PayPal Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.