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PayPal (PYPL) Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Up Y/Y

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PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL - Free Report) reported non-GAAP earnings of $1.48 per share for fourth-quarter 2023, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.8%. The figure improved 19% on a year-over-year basis.

Net revenues of $8.03 billion exhibited year-over-year growth of 9% on an FX-neutral basis, as well as on a reported basis. The figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.88 billion.

Growing transaction and other value-added services’ revenues drove top-line growth year over year in the reported quarter. Also, accelerating U.S. and international revenues contributed well.

Top Line in Detail

By Type: Transaction revenues amounted to $7.3 billion (91% of net revenues), up 9% from the year-ago quarter’s level. Other value-added services generated revenues of $743 million (accounting for 9% of net revenues), up 9% year over year.

By Geography: Revenues from the United States totaled $4.64 billion (58% of net revenues), up 8% on a year-over-year basis. International revenues were $3.4 billion (42% of net revenues), up 10% from the prior-year quarter’s level.

PayPal Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

PayPal Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

PayPal Holdings, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | PayPal Holdings, Inc. Quote

Key Metrics to Consider

PayPal witnessed a year-over-year decline of 2% in total active accounts, which came in at 426 million in the quarter under review. The figure came below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 433 million.

The total number of payment transactions was 6.8 billion, up 13% on a year-over-year basis. The figure beat the consensus mark of 6.7 billion.

PYPL’s payment transactions per active account were 58.7 million, which improved 14% from the year-ago quarter’s level. The figure surpassed the consensus mark of 56 million.

Total payment volume amounted to $409.83 billion for the reported quarter, indicating year-over-year growth of 15% on a spot-rate basis and 13% on a currency-neutral basis. The reported figure topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $403.53 billion.

Operating Details

PayPal’s operating expenses were $6.3 billion in the fourth quarter, up 2.6% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. As a percentage of net revenues, the figure contracted 470 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis.

The non-GAAP operating margin was 23.3%, expanding 39 bps from the year-ago quarter’s level.

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

As of Dec 31, 2023, cash equivalents and investments were $14.1 billion, down from $15.4 billion as of Sep 30, 2023.

PayPal had a long-term debt balance of $9.7 billion as of Dec 31, 2023 compared with $10.6 billion as of Sep 30, 2023.

PYPL generated $2.6 billion in cash from operations during the reported quarter compared with $1.3 billion in the previous quarter. Free cash flow was $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter, up from $1.1 billion reported in the prior quarter.

The company returned $0.6 billion to its shareholders by repurchasing 10 million shares.

Guidance

For first-quarter 2024, PayPal expects revenues to grow 6.5% on a spot rate basis and 7% on a currency-neutral basis from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $7.51 billion.

Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be up by mid-single digits on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.28 per share.

For 2024, PayPal anticipates non-GAAP earnings to be in line with the reported figure in 2023. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $5.50 per share.

Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider

Currently, PayPal carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector are BlackLine (BL - Free Report) , Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) , and Badger Meter (BMI - Free Report) . While BlackLine and Arista Networks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each, Badger Meter carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

BlackLine shares have lost 3.5% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for BL is currently projected at 50.56%.

Arista Networks shares have increased 13.7% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for ANET is currently projected at 20.15%.

Badger Meter shares have lost 7.3% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for BMI is currently projected at 12.27%.

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