Stripe and Advent International have made a joint offer to acquire PayPal Holdings for $60.50 per share, valuing the payments company at more than $53 billion, according to Reuters. The offer, submitted earlier this month, represents a 28% premium to PayPal’s closing share price on Tuesday and has sent PYPL stock surging nearly 15% on the news.
The proposal is backed by approximately $50 billion in committed financing from banks, according to sources familiar with the matter. Under the terms, Stripe and Advent would each hold equal stakes in PayPal, keeping the company whole rather than breaking it up, the sources said.
The offer follows an initial approach made in early April. PayPal, Stripe, and Advent have declined to comment on the proposal, and sources cautioned there is no certainty the approach will result in a transaction. Stripe and Advent are seeking to advance discussions in the coming weeks, the sources added.
PayPal has faced mounting pressure in recent years as its growth has slowed and competition intensified. The company’s market capitalization peaked at about $360 billion in 2021 but fell to as low as roughly $36 billion earlier this year, wiping out more than 40% of its market value over the past 12 months. The payments pioneer has struggled against rivals such as Apple Pay and Google Pay as consumers embraced alternative payment methods.
New CEO Enrique Lores, who took over in March, has launched a sweeping turnaround effort to simplify operations and sharpen focus on growth. In April, the company split its operations into three units covering checkout, consumer financial services through Venmo, and payments and crypto. PayPal’s revenue rose 7% to $8.35 billion in the first quarter, beating analysts’ average estimate of $8.05 billion, and the company has outlined plans to save about $1.5 billion over the next two to three years through efficiency initiatives.
The potential PayPal transaction, if completed, would add to a surge in M&A activity in the global payments sector. In 2025, Global Payments agreed to acquire Worldpay from FIS and private equity firm GTCR for $24.25 billion, while Nuvei, backed by Advent International, acquired Payoneer Global for $2.75 billion. PwC reported that global deal value is on track to reach $4 trillion in 2026, the strongest year since 2021, with megadeals over $5 billion now nearly half of total value.
Stripe, which is privately held, was valued at $159 billion in a February tender offer for employees and shareholders, a more than 70% jump from a similar share sale a year earlier. The San Francisco and Dublin-based company allows businesses to accept payments, make payouts, and automate financial processes, and has become one of the industry’s most valuable firms.
Sources
- Reuters — Stripe and Advent’s $60.50-per-share offer to acquire PayPal for more than $53 billion, backed by $50 billion in committed bank financing, representing a 28% premium
- Yahoo Finance — PayPal stock surge of nearly 15% following the acquisition proposal
- BeInCrypto — Offer details and stock response
- PwC — Global M&A trends showing $4 trillion deal value on track for 2026
