PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL)
PayPal is a digital payments giant that helps people and businesses send and receive money online securely across the globe.
Is PayPal Holdings, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: PayPal is a digital payments giant that helps people and businesses send and receive money online securely across the globe.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
PayPal becomes the dominant global standard for online checkout.
Loss of relevance to newer, integrated banking and payment platforms.
What does PayPal Holdings, Inc. do?
PayPal acts as a digital middleman for online shopping, allowing you to pay for goods without sharing your card details with every single website. A small slice of the transaction fee, taken whenever you pay a merchant or send money to someone else, is what fills the coffers. What really matters here is whether they can keep pace with newer, faster payment apps while coaxing more people to use their checkout button instead of just typing in a credit card.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.0% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 5% over the year
- ·Low P/E of 11 vs last year's earnings
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 24%)
- Value screens high (79/100)
- Income screens high (71/100)
- Massive global brand recognition and trust
- Strong return on equity showing efficient use of capital
- Solid gross margins of over 40%
- Growth screens low (26/100)
- Rapidly changing technology making current payment methods obsolete
- Regulatory changes affecting how digital payments are processed
- Economic downturns reducing overall consumer spending
What do PayPal Holdings, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does PayPal Holdings, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does PayPal Holdings, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - PayPal Holdings, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 1.0% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does PayPal Holdings, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-27 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-28 | $1.28 | $1.38 | Beat +8% |
| 2026-05-05 | $1.27 | $1.34 | Beat +6% |
| 2026-02-03 | $1.29 | $1.23 | Missed -4% |
| 2025-10-28 | $1.21 | $1.34 | Beat +11% |
| 2025-07-29 | $1.30 | $1.40 | Beat +8% |
| 2025-04-29 | $1.16 | $1.33 | Beat +15% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, PayPal Holdings, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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What are the scenarios for PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Massive global brand recognition and trust
- Strong return on equity showing efficient use of capital
- Solid gross margins of over 40%
- Recent decline in year-on-year earnings
- Significant share price drop over the last year
- High competition from tech giants and banking apps
- Rapidly changing technology making current payment methods obsolete
- Regulatory changes affecting how digital payments are processed
- Economic downturns reducing overall consumer spending
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained return to double-digit earnings growth
- A significant loss of active user accounts
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.