PayPal leaves the door open to a higher takeover offer following earnings beat - TechCrunch

What the report says

TechCrunch reported that PayPal has not ruled out a takeover, but signaled that any deal would need to offer more value than its current turnaround plan. On PayPal’s Q2 2026 earnings call Tuesday, CEO Enrique Lores said the company would consider alternatives that could create “superior value” for shareholders, while declining to comment directly on market speculation or potential mergers.

The comments come amid a reported $53.4 billion bid from Stripe and Advent International, priced at $60.50 per PayPal share. TechCrunch framed PayPal’s response as an indication that the company does not view the current offer as sufficient, particularly after a stronger-than-expected quarter. The article cited a Cantor analysis valuing PayPal closer to $70 per share, while noting that PayPal shares were trading around $58.

PayPal reported adjusted earnings of $1.38 per share, above expectations of $1.28, and revenue of $8.68 billion, up 5% year over year and ahead of estimates of $8.47 billion. Adjusted free cash flow was $1.8 billion, which TechCrunch said gives the company capacity to keep funding its product and strategy work.

The company’s stated focus remains an AI-driven restructuring and modernization effort. TechCrunch reported that PayPal has reorganized around checkout and PayPal, consumer financial services including Venmo, and payment services and crypto. Lores said PayPal is progressing toward at least $1.5 billion in gross run-rate savings over two to three years, including fewer organizational layers, cloud migration, and reduced platform complexity.