Investors with an interest in Financial Transaction Services stocks have likely encountered both Paypal (PYPL) and MasterCard (MA). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors?
Shares of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) plummeted 11.12% over the past month after gaining 4.23% the month prior.
PayPal is undervalued, with investors overlooking its consistent growth potential, strong network effects, and new AI-driven monetization opportunities. Secular trends in digital payments, cost-cutting, and accelerating Venmo monetization support stable mid-single-digit growth, even amid macro headwinds. Upcoming AI integration and the launch of PayPal World expand PayPal's moat, offering significant upside through new revenue streams and global user growth.
PayPal's Q2 results prove its turnaround is succeeding, with a strong EPS beat and its sixth consecutive quarter of profitable, disciplined growth. Powerful operating leverage is building as transaction margin dollars grew 8%, significantly outpacing revenue and signaling a successful pivot to higher-quality earnings. Key growth engines like Venmo are accelerating with 20% revenue growth, while the critical Braintree platform has stabilized and is now poised for growth.
Branded checkout TPV grew 5% YoY in Q2 2025, lagging global e-commerce, signaling persistent share-of-wallet erosion. The unbranded PSP segment, led by Braintree, is shifting to disciplined profitability, with transaction margin dollars rising despite slower TPV. Adjusted free cash flow fell 42% YoY to $656M, raising concerns about the sustainability of capital returns and buybacks.
I am downgrading PayPal to 'Sell', due to increased competition, mediocre growth, and rising balance sheet risks. PayPal faces intense competition from Stripe, Adyen, and others, with rivals growing faster and gaining market share. Rising credit losses, higher sales and marketing expenses, and increased long-term debt signal worsening fundamentals and margin pressure.
PayPal's global scale and steady profitability make it a stronger buy compared to Block's innovation-driven growth.
Paypal (PYPL) has received quite a bit of attention from Zacks.com users lately. Therefore, it is wise to be aware of the facts that can impact the stock's prospects.
PayPal World may unlock $4.4 billion–$8.8 billion in incremental TPV by 2027, translating to $300 million–$500 million in new revenue based on current take rates. Q2-FY25 saw 8% TPV growth in branded experiences and 12% Venmo TPV growth, driving overall TPV to $443.5 billion and TMD to $3.5 billion. PYUSD expansion to Stellar and Arbitrum with Coinbase and Mastercard support positions PayPal for crypto-enabled cross-border growth among 650 million+ users.
Wondering how to pick strong, market-beating stocks for your investment portfolio? Look no further than the Zacks Style Scores.
PayPal is undervalued due to an unclear narrative, despite its broad reach and strong fundamentals in the digital payments space. Recent management focus on core, high-margin segments like PayPal and Venmo, plus improved execution, signal a positive strategic shift. With a low multiple and potential for mid-teens earnings growth, PayPal offers significant upside if it continues to consolidate and simplify its business.
PayPal remains a top pick due to profitable growth, aggressive share repurchases, and a strong balance sheet despite market pessimism. Management signals unbranded processing growth has bottomed, with accelerating momentum in Venmo and branded processing supporting future growth. The stock trades at just 13x earnings, offers a 7% shareholder yield, and looks undervalued even without growth acceleration.