A payments company that has lost more than 80% of its value in five years just posted the largest single-day gain of its eleven-year public life.
PayPal Holdings Inc. (PYPL) rose 17.19% on Wednesday, the biggest daily rally since the company's 2015 spin-off.
What Happened: Reuters reported that Stripe Inc. and Advent International Corp. submitted a joint proposal earlier this month at $60.50 a share, valuing PayPal at more than $53 billion.
The bid carries a 28% premium to Tuesday's close and is backed by close to $50 billion in committed bank financing. Stripe and Advent would each own an equal stake.
Wednesday's move also carried the stock above its 200-day moving average — a level PayPal has not closed above since October 2025.
Why It Matters: PayPal entered Wednesday down 20% year-to-date and 85% below its all-time highs from July 2021.
The offer values the company at less than a fifth of its July 2021 peak of $308.52.
