PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ: PYPL), a global leader in digital payments, has been working to regain investor confidence after a challenging stretch for fintech stocks. Shares currently trade at $67.65, giving the company a market cap of about $64.6 billion. While the stock remains well below its 2021 highs, it has delivered a 5.2% gain over the past year as cost discipline, margin stability, and steady transaction growth have helped shift sentiment.
PayPal’s strong profitability metrics, including a gross margin of 41.7% and return on equity of 22.9%, reinforce its status as a high-quality business even in a slower growth phase. Analysts see forward two-year EPS growth of 11.1%, driven more by operational efficiency than by aggressive top-line expansion.
Digging into PayPal’s ownership structure reveals a shareholder base dominated by the world’s largest asset managers, alongside a handful of active investors who have recently increased their stakes. While leadership has been selling shares in recent months, institutional conviction in the company’s long-term potential remains intact.
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PayPal’s Biggest Shareholders
As of the latest filings, PayPal’s largest shareholders remain the major index fund managers.
The Vanguard Group leads with 85.8 million shares, representing about 9% of the company. State Street Global Advisors follows with 44.5 million shares, or 4.7%, after adding nearly 885,000 shares last quarter. BlackRock Institutional Trust holds 44.2 million shares, a 4.6% stake, after a small trim, while Geode Capital owns 21.9 million shares, or 2.3%, after a slight reduction.
Several active managers have been loading up on PayPal stock. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings by 42.7% to 25.6 million shares. Norges Bank Investment Management boosted its position by 18.5% to 12.7 million shares. Artisan Partners made one of the largest percentage moves, raising its stake by 51.3% to 11.8 million shares. ClearBridge Investments also grew its holdings by 11.1% to 10.4 million shares.
Overall, PayPal’s shareholder base blends long-term index exposure with active managers increasing their bets on an earnings recovery. The recent buying from Capital Research, Norges Bank, and Artisan Partners stands out as a signal of growing institutional confidence.
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Recent Insider Transactions: Signals from PayPal’s Leadership Moves
In July 2025, several PayPal executives sold shares, and no insider purchases were reported.
Chief Marketing Officer Diego Scotti was the most active, selling 569 shares at $69.77 and 3,269 shares at $69.01 on July 30, on top of earlier sales of 8,588 and 4,750 shares at $73.89.
Chief People Officer Chris Natali sold 7,102 shares at $69.35 on July 30, along with earlier sales of 10,905 and 3,803 shares at $73.89.
Chief Strategy Officer James Alexander Chriss sold 23,280 and 12,188 shares at $73.89 on July 14, while Chief Risk Officer Aaron James Webster recorded multiple sales at the same price.
These trades appear consistent with pre-arranged plans or stock-based compensation, given the clustered pricing and timing. However, the bigger takeaway is the lack of buying, with no PayPal insider purchasing shares on the open market in the past few weeks.
That leaves institutional investors as the main driver of ownership changes, while insider activity has been limited to scheduled selling.
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What PayPal’s Ownership Reveals About Its Future
PayPal’s shareholder base is anchored by the largest index funds and long-term asset managers, while a handful of active investors have been building positions aggressively. Vanguard, State Street, and BlackRock collectively hold over 18% of the company, providing a stable core of institutional ownership. The notable position increases from Capital Research, Artisan Partners, and Norges Bank point to growing confidence that PayPal’s earnings recovery can take hold.
At the same time, insider activity has leaned heavily toward sales in 2025, with no reported open-market purchases from executives. While many of these transactions are likely tied to pre-arranged trading plans or compensation events, the lack of insider buying suggests leadership is maintaining a cautious stance on adding personal exposure.
For now, the story is being driven more by institutional flows than by insider conviction. If PayPal can deliver on its 11.1% EPS growth outlook while maintaining strong margins and capital returns, the combination of steady index support and selective active buying could continue to underpin the stock’s recovery path.
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