PayPal Holdings Inc. (PYPL) jumped onto the retail radar amid reports that Stripe and private equity firm Advent International are offering $60.50 a share to acquire the company.
However, retail traders are largely unconvinced by the offering, with many investors stating that the offer undervalues the payments company, which has strong long-term cash flow and market positioning.
How Much Does Retail Value PayPal At?
A Stocktwits that sought to gauge what retail investors think the value of the company’s shares should be found that a majority believe PYPL stock is worth over $100. Of the 8,200 polled, 35% voted for this level.
Meanwhile, 16% of investors believe the shares should be valued at least between $80 and $99.99, while another 16% believe the stock should be valued between $70 and $79.99. The remaining voters polled feel that a price between $60 and $69.99 is appropriate.
One bullish user , “Burn the shorts from the last 2 years. Burn them all to ashes! No offer should be less than $100.”
Another user said, “$PYPL road to $75-85/share. Market’s still pricing in a lot of skepticism, but the setup is simple: huge FCF, wide user reach, and valuation that still looks cheap here. That’s why $PYPL can demand a higher premium vs Stripe in any rerating. The stock’s been discounted hard on downside fears, but the cash generation story is still there.”
https://stocktwits.com/MandelbrotMarkets/message/659148825
A third user said, “60 buck a share greatly undervalues the company.”
https://stocktwits.com/Reanimated666/message/659106384
Retail sentiment around the stock jumped from ‘bullish’ to ‘extremely bullish’ over 24 hours, while message volumes surged 1,198% in the same time.
PayPal Deal: What Does Wall Street Think?
Wall Street is split on the reported $60.50-per-share takeover bid from Stripe and Advent.
BTIG believes PayPal’s board is likely to seriously consider the offer, citing uncertainty surrounding the company and calling the deal a potential “lifeline” that could support a long-term turnaround away from public market pressures.
William Blair is more skeptical, describing the bid as potentially too low and suggesting buyers could raise it to as much as $70 per share, though the odds are low. Jefferies focused on competitive implications, saying a combined Stripe-PayPal would mainly strengthen consumer payments and have a largely neutral impact on rival Adyen.
PYPL stock jumped more than 17% at close on Wednesday and is on track to clock its best monthly gains on record.