PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL) stock spiked on Wednesday afternoon after a new social-media post from President Donald Trump appeared to defuse fresh transatlantic trade fears. Here’s what investors need to know.

Trump Drops Tariff Threat

In the post, Trump said a "very productive meeting" with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had produced a framework for a Greenland and Arctic security deal and, crucially, that he would "not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on Feb. 1st."

Earlier in the day at Davos, Trump had doubled down on acquiring Greenland, calling it a "core national security interest" and warning Europe "we will remember" if it refused, language that unnerved markets already sensitive to tariff risk.

Why A Greenland Deal Matters For PayPal's Cross-Border Engine

PayPal derives a significant share of its total payment volume from Europe, where it processes online checkout for small merchants, marketplaces and large enterprises through its PayPal, Braintree and PayPal Complete Payments platforms.

The company also monetizes cross-border commerce and FX spreads as European consumers pay U.S. and U.K. merchants, and vice versa. Any new U.S.–EU tariff regime, especially one aimed at digital or financial services, could depress cross-border volumes, compress take-rates and complicate PayPal's regulatory landscape.

By signaling a cooperative security arrangement on Greenland and explicitly canceling near-term tariffs, Trump removed an overhang on transatlantic trade.

Is PayPal Poised For A Rebound?

Currently, PayPal is trading 4.1% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 13.6% below its 100-day SMA, indicating a bearish trend in the short to medium term. Shares have decreased by 37.55% over the past 12 months and are positioned closer to their 52-week lows than highs, reflecting ongoing challenges for the company.

The RSI is at 29.46, which is considered oversold, suggesting that the stock may be undervalued in the short term. Meanwhile, MACD is below its signal line, indicating bearish pressure on the stock.

The combination of an oversold RSI and bearish MACD suggests mixed momentum for PayPal.

  • Key Resistance: $60
  • Key Support: $56

Earnings Growth Could Spark A Rally

Investors are looking ahead to the next earnings report on Feb. 3.

  • EPS Estimate: $1.28 (Up from $1.19 year-over-year)
  • Revenue Estimate: $8.78 billion (Up from $8.37 billion YoY)
  • Valuation: P/E of 11.1x (Indicates value opportunity)

Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Hold Rating with an average price target of $76. Recent analyst moves include:

  • Piper Sandler: Neutral (Lowered target to $74 on Jan. 14)
  • Daiwa Capital: Downgrade to Neutral (Lowered target to $61 on Jan. 13)
  • Susquehanna: Positive (Lowered target to $90 on Jan. 8)

Valuation Insight: While the stock trades at a value P/E multiple, the consensus and 8% expected earnings growth suggest analysts view this growth as justification for the 35% upside to analyst targets.

Benzinga Edge Rankings

Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for PayPal Holdings, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:

  • Value: Strong (Score: 72.54) — The stock is seen as a value opportunity relative to peers.
  • Growth: Neutral (Score: 34.88) — Growth prospects are moderate, reflecting mixed expectations.
  • Quality: Weak (Score: 8.29) — Indicates potential concerns regarding the company’s financial health.
  • Momentum: Weak (Score: 5.27) — The stock is currently underperforming relative to the market.

The Verdict: PayPal’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a mixed outlook. While the strong Value score suggests potential for recovery, the weak Quality and Momentum scores indicate that investors should approach with caution.

Top ETF Exposure

  • First Trust DJ Internet Index Fund (NYSE:FDN): 3.29% weight
  • Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (NYSE:BLOK): 3.20% weight
  • Amplify Mobile Payments ETF (NYSE:IPAY): 6.17% weight

Significance: Because PayPal carries significant weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.

PYPL Shares Gain on Wednesday

PYPL Price Action: PayPal Holdings shares were up 1.92% at $56.13 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Image: Shutterstock

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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