PayPal stock jumped 15.3% in pre-market trading on Wednesday after Reuters reported that Stripe and private equity firm Advent International submitted a joint bid to acquire the digital payments company.
The offer, made earlier this month, values PayPal at more than $53 billion, or $60.50 per share. That represents a roughly 28% premium to where the stock closed on Tuesday.
PayPal’s pre-market price moved to around $54.60 — still below the offer price of $60.50. The gap reflects that investors see a deal as likely, but not guaranteed.
The bid is backed by approximately $50 billion in committed financing from banks, which gives it a level of credibility that markets are clearly taking seriously.
Under the proposed structure, Stripe and Advent would own PayPal jointly with equal stakes. Rather than breaking the company apart, the plan appears to be keeping PayPal’s full platform intact — including Venmo and its global checkout network.
The initial approach dates back to early April 2026, meaning interest in a deal has been building for several months before today’s report.
Sources familiar with the matter said PayPal has not yet responded to the bid. The two parties are looking to move discussions forward in the coming weeks, though the outcome remains uncertain.
The broader market was moving on Wednesday but nothing close to PayPal’s scale. The S&P 500 was up 0.3%, the Dow gained 0.3%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.6%.
For Stripe, a deal of this size would mark a dramatic shift. The private fintech giant has long operated independently and a combination with PayPal would create one of the largest payments businesses in the world.
Advent International brings deep private equity experience in tech and financial services, which likely helped assemble the financing package behind the offer.
The fact that PayPal is trading well below the offer price of $60.50 is worth watching. A $5.90 gap between the pre-market price and the bid suggests deal risk is being priced in.
That’s common with early-stage M&A reports — especially when the target company hasn’t confirmed or responded to an approach.
PayPal has not commented on the report publicly as of Wednesday morning.
The proposed deal structure — equal ownership between a strategic buyer and a private equity firm — is relatively unusual and could face its own complexities during negotiations.
Investors will now be watching for any response from PayPal’s board, and whether rival bidders or counter-offers emerge in the coming days.
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