PayPal (PYPL) Stock Gets Fair Value Bump As Analysts Weigh Takeover Uncertainty

Bailey Pemberton

Sat, July 18, 2026 at 12:18 AM EDT 3 min read

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PayPal Holdings is back in focus as analysts adjust their price targets, with fair value estimates now set at US$52.42 per share compared with the previous US$51.35. Behind these shifts, recent research reflects a split view, where some analysts lean on takeover speculation and corporate activity, while others question how much potential upside is already reflected. As you read on, you will see how to track these changing assumptions and what they might mean for following the evolving narrative around PayPal.

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What Wall Street Has Been Saying

🐂 Bullish Takeaways

Cantor Fitzgerald argues that a US$70 per share offer might better reflect PayPal Holdings’ intrinsic value, suggesting more headroom than the reported US$60.50 bid implies.
Barclays upgraded PayPal to Equal Weight from Underweight with a US$55 price target, citing limited downside in the near term as M&A speculation supports the stock.
Canaccord raised its PayPal price target to US$55 from US$42, indicating that some analysts see more constructive value in the company even as they highlight operational work still ahead.

🐻 Bearish Takeaways

Morgan Stanley, with a US$34 price target and Underweight rating, views a sale to Stripe and Advent as the most credible way to realize value, citing what it describes as limited standalone options to improve growth for PayPal.
BofA removed its rating and target and highlighted that PayPal’s share price may be driven more by further M&A headlines than by fundamentals, underlining uncertainty around execution and long term growth drivers.

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How This Changes the Fair Value For PayPal Holdings

Fair value estimate for PayPal Holdings is now US$52.42 per share, compared with the previous US$51.35.
Long term revenue growth assumption is now 4.01%, compared with 4.04% previously.
Projected net profit margin is now 12.46%, compared with the earlier 12.61% assumption.
Future P/E multiple is now 9.78x, compared with 9.50x before.
Discount rate assumption is now 7.59%, compared with 7.73% previously.