PayPal Holdings Incearnings miss, margin contraction, and weak guidance driving valuation compression

PayPal shares have fallen 46% from their October 2025 peak to $42.51, compressing the valuation to 8 times trailing and forward earnings even as total payment volume grew 11% to $463.95 billion in the first quarter of 2026. The selloff followed a fourth-quarter 2025 earnings miss and the appointment of new CEO Enrique Lores, with GAAP operating margin contracting 182 basis points to 17.8% and management guiding second-quarter EPS down about 9%. The company repurchased roughly 100 million shares for $6 billion over the trailing twelve months, reducing the diluted share count from 999 million to 920 million, while 63 recent insider transactions showed net buying. Just 8 of 44 analysts rate the stock a Buy, yet the consensus target of $51.54 implies roughly 19% upside from current levels.
PayPal Holdings Incearnings miss, margin contraction, and weak guidance driving valuation compression
NVIDIA Corporation