Is PayPal Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold Before Q3 Earnings Report?

PayPal PYPL is set to report its third-quarter 2024 results on Oct. 29.PYPL expects mid-single-digit growth in revenues on a year-over-year basis for the to-be-reported quarter. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to exhibit high-single-digit growth year over year.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues is pegged at $7.86 billion, indicating an increase of 5.93% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.The consensus mark for earnings stands at $1.08 per share, up a couple of cents over the past 30 days, suggesting a decline of 16.92% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.PayPal’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 14.00%. PayPal Holdings, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise PayPal Holdings, Inc. price-eps-surprise | PayPal Holdings, Inc. Quote Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.Let’s see how things have shaped up for the upcoming announcement.Rich Partner Base to Aid PYPL’s Q3 ResultsIts third-quarter results are expected to reflect portfolio strength, helping PayPal maintain a deep and trusted relationship with merchants and consumers. Strong monetization efforts of Venmo are likely to have aided Total Payments Volume (TPV) in the to-be-reported quarter. In the second quarter of 2024, TPV was $416.81 billion for the reported quarter, indicating year-over-year growth of 11% on a spot-rate and currency-neutral basis.PYPL’s rich partner base, which includes Apple AAPL and Meta Platforms META, has been a key catalyst. The integration of PayPal and Venmo credit or debit cards into Apple Wallet has been a noteworthy development. The introduction of Tap to Pay on iPhone for Venmo and Zettle users is expected to have driven PayPal’s momentum among small businesses in the quarter under review.The growing momentum in Tap to Pay on Android is likely to have boosted Venmo and Zettle’s user bases.PayPal is a top payment method for advertisers and consumers globally across Meta Platforms’ family of apps. Creators and developers are using Hyperwallet. META also uses Braintree for credit card processing.Expanding Features Drive PYPL’s ClientelePayPal offers features that continuously improve the consumer experience. Its features, including PayPal Pay Later and integration with Apple Pay, make payment processing smoother for small businesses.The continuing rollout of PPCP bodes well for PayPal’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). In the first half of the year, SMB volume on PPCP was up more than 40%. The trend is expected to have continued in the second half of the year.Xoom’s growing adoption is noteworthy. Debit Card Deposit feature in Xoom allows U.S. customers to conveniently and securely send money directly to friends and family’s eligible Visa debit cards.Advancing checkout experiences are expected to have aided PayPal’s momentum among large enterprise businesses in the to-be-reported quarter.PYPL Shares Outperform Sector, IndustryPaypal shares have gained 32.6% year to date (YTD), outperforming the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s return of 25.3% and the Zacks Internet Software Industry’s 21.4%.PYPL shares have also outperformed its closest peer, Block SQ, shares of which fell 6.2% YTD.Year-to-Date Performance Chart Image Source: Zacks Investment Research PayPal stock is cheap, as suggested by the Value Score of B.In terms of the forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio, PYPL is trading at 2.46X, lower than the broader sector’s 6.14X and the industry’s 2.67X. Price/Sales (P/S) Ratio Image Source: Zacks Investment Research PayPal Benefits From Expanding PortfolioPayPal presents a compelling investment opportunity as a major player in the global digital payments industry. Its strong brand, innovative technology and ability to adapt to market trends are positives.PayPal’s two-sided platform, which helps develop direct financial relationships with customers and merchants, is expected to strengthen its market position.The general availability of Fastlane in August is a noteworthy development that is expected to benefit PYPL’s top-line growth.The launch of in-app offers with major brands, including Best Buy, Priceline, Lyft, Instacart, Ticketmaster, Walmart, and Nordstrom, is expected to boost consumer engagement and drive up gross merchandise volume for PYPL.PYPL - Buy, Sell or HoldPayPal rides on growing demand for peer-to-peer payments and digital wallets. Hence, investors who already own the stock may expect PYPL's growth prospects to be rewarding over the long term.However, PYPL’s near-term prospects are full of challenges due to challenging macroeconomic conditions, unfavorable forex and sluggish consumer spending. Modest growth prospects and stretched valuation make it a risky bet for investors, as indicated by a Growth Score of D.PayPal currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggesting that it may be wise to wait for a more favorable entry point in the stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.7% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL): Free Stock Analysis Report Block, Inc. (SQ): Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks