Global Payments Inc vs PayPal Holdings, Inc. — how do they compare? Global Payments Inc trades at $80.36 (market cap $21.40B), while PayPal Holdings, Inc. trades at $56.78 (market cap $48.97B). The key difference: PayPal Holdings, Inc. is far larger — about 2.3× Global Payments Inc's market cap, and Global Payments Inc pays the higher dividend (1.28%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| GPN | PYPL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $21.40B | $48.97B |
Sector | Industrials | Financials |
52-Week High | $90.01 | $78.22 |
52-Week Low | $62.47 | $39.08 |
Enterprise Value | $39.11B | $49.04B |
Dividend Yield | 1.28% | 1.01% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Global Payments (GPN) trades at $79.67, up 4.98% today, with a bullish technical outlook and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The company shows robust operating cash flow of $2.66B in 2025 and benefits from strategic initiatives like the Worldpay integration and AI-powered POS expansions. However, net income margin turned negative at -7.97% for 2026, reflecting margin pressures amid rising costs and competitive fintech landscape.
GPN presents a mixed outlook: analyst consensus is bullish with a $81.56 price target (58% buy ratings), but investors face risks from debt growth (debt-to-asset ratio rising to 41.57% in 2025) and profitability challenges. Near-term catalysts include continued execution on commerce technology deals, while volatility may persist from macroeconomic headwinds.
PayPal (PYPL) surged 20.24% to $56.96 following a $53 billion takeover bid from Stripe and Advent International at $60.50 per share. The stock trades near resistance at $57 with RSI indicating overbought conditions. Fundamentally, PYPL shows strong profitability with a 15% net income margin and attractive valuation at a P/E of 10.42. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q1 2026 with EPS of $1.34 versus $1.27 forecast.
The acquisition offer creates near-term upside potential, though regulatory approval risks remain. Long-term investors face competition in digital payments and execution challenges. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $49.50 price target below current levels, suggesting caution despite bullish technical momentum.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Global Payments is a leading provider of payment processing and software solutions and focuses on serving small and midsize merchants. The company operates in 30 countries and generates about one fourth of its revenue from outside North America, primarily in Europe and Asia. In 2019, Global Payments merged with Total System Services in an all-stock deal that gave Total System Services shareholders 48% of the combined company's shares.
Read more on GPN →PayPal Holdings, Inc. operates as a technology platform company that enables digital and mobile payments on behalf of consumers and merchants. The Company offers online payment solutions. PayPal Holdings serves customers worldwide.
Read more on PYPL →