PayPal Slides 1.34% on 141st-Ranked 720M Volume as Institutional Buyers Pile In

PayPal Holdings (PYPL) fell 1.34% on Sept. 2, with a trading volume of $720 million, ranking 141st in market activity. Institutional investors have been accumulating shares, with OMERS Administration Corp and Allianz SE boosting stakes by 13.9% and 281.8%, respectively, in the first quarter. UBS AM added 17.1% to its position in the fourth quarter, now holding $651.6 million in shares. Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 68.32% of the stock.

Analyst sentiment remains mixed. Piper Sandler and Canaccord Genuity Group maintained "Buy" ratings with price targets of $74 and $96, respectively. However, Truist Financial downgraded to "Sell" with a $68 target, while BMO Capital reissued a "Market Perform" rating. The consensus "Hold" rating is supported by 17 "Buy" ratings and an average target of $85. Earnings for the latest quarter beat estimates at $1.40 per share, driven by $8.29 billion in revenue, with Q3 guidance set at $1.18–$1.22 EPS.

Insider transactions included the sale of 26,898 shares valued at $1.91 million in the last quarter, though institutional ownership remains stable. PayPal’s 52-week range spans $55.85 to $93.66, with a beta of 1.43. The stock trades at a 14.64 P/E ratio and a market cap of $65.5 billion.

Backtest results indicate a 1.34% decline on Sept. 2, aligning with the reported data. Institutional buying and analyst upgrades suggest potential for a rebound, though mixed ratings highlight ongoing caution among investors.