Stripe Shows Early Interest in Potential Acquisition of PayPal Amid Market Speculation

Payment processing firm Stripe has expressed preliminary interest in acquiring all or parts of PayPal Holdings Inc., according to unnamed sources. Discussions are in early stages with no certainty of a deal. PayPal's stock rose over 6% following the reports. Both companies declined to comment. Stripe, a privately held fintech leader, competes directly with PayPal, which has faced challenges modernizing amid competition from Apple Pay and Google Pay. PayPal is also undergoing leadership changes.