PayPal Shares Plunge 18% After Q4 Earnings Miss And CEO Transition Announcement

Core Viewpoint - PayPal Holdings, Inc. shares fell over 18% intraday following fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that did not meet analyst expectations, despite slightly better-than-expected guidance for fiscal 2026 [1] Financial Performance - PayPal reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.23, which was below the consensus estimate of $1.29 [3] - Revenue for the quarter was $8.68 billion, missing expectations of $8.79 billion, although it represented a 4% year-over-year increase [3] - Total payment volume rose 9% to $475.1 billion, or 6% on a currency-neutral basis [3] Future Guidance - For fiscal 2026, PayPal projected earnings per share of $5.75, slightly above the consensus estimate of $5.73 [3] - The company cautioned that first-quarter 2026 earnings would decline by a mid-single-digit percentage [3] Leadership Transition - PayPal announced a significant leadership change, appointing Enrique Lores as President and Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2026, succeeding Alex Chriss [2] - Jamie Miller, the Chief Financial and Operating Officer, will serve as Interim CEO until the transition is completed [2] User Metrics - Active accounts increased by 1.1% to 439 million [4] - Transactions per active account over the trailing 12 months declined by 5% to 57.7, but excluding payment service provider transactions, transactions per account increased by 5% [4]