PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) Downgraded to “Hold” at StockNews.com

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on PYPL. UBS Group increased their price target on PayPal from $56.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 1st. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $74.00 price target on shares of PayPal in a research report on Thursday, March 21st. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of PayPal in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Mizuho reduced their price target on PayPal from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on PayPal from $76.00 to $73.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PayPal has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.47.

PayPal Trading Up 0.6 %

PYPL traded up $0.42 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $66.99. 10,765,398 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,348,646. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $61.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $59.41. PayPal has a 1-year low of $50.25 and a 1-year high of $77.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market cap of $71.80 billion, a PE ratio of 17.45, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.44.

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The credit services provider reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.12. PayPal had a return on equity of 20.84% and a net margin of 14.26%. The firm had revenue of $8.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.01 EPS. PayPal’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that PayPal will post 3.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Frank Keller sold 7,686 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.64, for a total value of $466,079.04. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 23,430 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,420,795.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PayPal

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA acquired a new position in shares of PayPal in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sutton Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of PayPal by 115.0% in the third quarter. Sutton Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 443 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. PCA Investment Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of PayPal in the second quarter worth $27,000. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new position in shares of PayPal in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of PayPal in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 68.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PayPal Company Profile

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.