PayPal in Talks with Stripe and Advent on $53 Billion Acquisition, Deems $60.50 Offer Low

The two parties have engaged in substantive discussions regarding the acquisition. Stripe and Advent proposed in July to acquire PayPal at US$60.50 per share, implying a valuation of approximately US$53 billion.

Prior to the July offer, PayPal's stock was at historical lows, with a market capitalization of about US$40 billion. The company had peaked at over US$300 per share during the pandemic in 2021, with a market value exceeding US$280 billion. Following news of the talks, PayPal shares rose 1.8% on Friday, bringing its market capitalization close to US$53 billion.

PayPal's chief executive, Enrique Lores, took over in March 2026 after the company issued a profit warning, succeeding former CEO Alex Chriss. He is advancing a transformation plan that includes significant cost reductions, a restructuring into three separate business lines, and an acceleration of artificial intelligence applications. Lores said the company is currently focused on its transformation strategy but will evaluate all opportunities that could maximize shareholder value. The latest financial results show growth in the peer-to-peer payment platform Venmo, payment processor Braintree, and the debit card and buy-now-pay-later businesses. Previously, the company attributed weak performance to sluggish growth in its core brand checkout product and internal execution issues.

Stripe is a privately held payment processing company backed by Sequoia Capital, founded by brothers Patrick and John Collison, and was valued at US$159 billion earlier in 2026. Advent International, headquartered in Boston, manages over US$90 billion in assets and focuses on five sectors: business and financial services, healthcare, consumer, industrial, and technology.