Fintech Stripe and Advent International have decided to halt their efforts to acquire PayPal (Nasdaq:PYPL). Advent International is a private equity firm active in the Fintech sector.
The two partners had previously agreed to acquire the payments firm for around $53 billion, or $60.50 a share.
At one point, PayPal shares moved higher on the news, but as of today, PayPal has slammed into reverse, now trading down more than 14% or $52.50 a share.
Reports indicate the deal collapsed after PayPal insiders deemed the price too low and cited potential regulatory challenges. There was also chatter that the board was supporting management as it aims to improve and boost its services and usage. PayPal appointed a new CEO in March of 2026.
PayPal most recently posted earnings on July 28, 2026, beating expectations with revenue of $8.68 billion, up 5% from the same period the prior year, and an EPS beat of about 8% ($1.38 v. $1.28).
Stripe has not been idle, having recently announced an agreement to acquire OpenRouter, an artificial intelligence-focused startup, for more than $7 billion.