Paypal Stock Attracts Takeover Interest After Slide; Shares Jump Amid CEO Change and Weak 2026 Forecast
Recent coverage indicates paypal stock has drawn takeover interest from potential acquirers after a significant slide in value. The development sent shares higher in intraday trade and renews focus on leadership changes, a weak 2026 profit forecast and the company’s strategic options.
Paypal Stock: Buyers Circle After the Slide
Media coverage said the payments firm has fielded meetings with banks amid unsolicited interest from suitors. At least one large rival is said to be looking at acquiring the entire company, while other suitors are reportedly focused on specific PayPal assets. Buyer interest was described as preliminary and may not lead to a transaction. Independent verification of the report was not available.
Stock Moves and Conflicting Intraday Figures
Different accounts captured varying intraday moves: one noted a 6. 1% climb in Monday midday trading, another showed shares last up 7% in afternoon trade, and a third indicated PayPal rallied as much as 9. 7% at one point before retreating to a 6. 2% gain as of 2: 00 p. m. ET. Separate mention placed an intraday rise near 5. 77% in one summary. The multiple figures reflect the same market reaction but come from differing intraday snapshots.
Context: Market Capitalization and Long-Term Decline
The company was said to have a market capitalization of more than $38 billion. Coverage also highlighted a steep long-term decline: shares have lost about 85% of their value since hitting a record high in mid-2021, while one account put the fall from the all-time high at 86. 5% and noted an additional 28. 7% decline this year. Valuation commentary pointed to a trading multiple near 8. 2 times earnings in one analysis, characterizing the stock as highly discounted.
Leadership Change and the 2026 Forecast
Earlier this month PayPal replaced CEO Alex Chriss. Chriss had been appointed to steer the firm through slowing growth and intensifying competition; one summary noted he would step down after two-and-a-half years. The board named Chair Enrique Lores as the new president and CEO, saying the pace of change and execution under Chriss had not met expectations. The company issued a weak profit forecast for 2026 that fell well short of Wall Street expectations and guided for a slight decline in earnings per share for 2026 in one account.
Assets, Growth Challenges and Consumer Trends
Coverage pointed to several PayPal subsidiaries that could attract suitors, including the original branded one-click checkout, the Venmo peer-to-peer payments platform, PayPal credit lending, and the Braintree merchant acquirer and payment processor business. The firm’s post-pandemic momentum has slowed: while PayPal saw a surge in use during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers shifted to digital payments, growth has since decelerated and the company has struggled to sustain momentum despite a multi-year turnaround plan.
Investor Concerns and Demand Trends
PayPal flagged weaker retail spending as shoppers—squeezed by elevated interest rates, persistently high cost of living and signs of a softening labor market—cut back on discretionary purchases and focused more on essentials. Investors have also feared that the push by large technology firms such as Apple and Google into core payments could chip away at PayPal’s market share, despite its position as a legacy leader.
Reporting: Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing: Shilpi Majumdar and Arun Koyyur.
