This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Digital payments company PayPal Holdings Inc. (PYPL, Financials) jumped on takeover speculation that has resurfaced just days after a previous bid was said to have been scrapped.
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Shares rose around 0.7% in early trading as traders circulated an unverified tip that PayPal may have received renewed acquisition interest. It is unclear who any potential buyer would be.
The speculation comes amid rumors last week that Stripe and private equity firm Advent had discontinued their pursuit of PayPal after earlier offered more than $50 billion for the company. Block had also participated in talks before departing the organization.
The past makes the latest talk more interesting for investorsbut also more difficult to interpret. The same buyers are showing renewed interest, which could mean that talks are not completely off the table. It would be a whole other dynamic if there was a new bidder.
PayPal shares were trading about $56.83 later Thursday, up roughly 4%, a sign investors were giving at least some weight to the prospect of another merger.
However, no deal has been formalized and takeover speculation might fizzle out rapidly. The next spark will come if PayPal, Stripe, Advent or some other potential acquirer discloses new purchase talks are underway.