 My name is Porter Stansberry. I’m the founder of one of the largest financial research firms in the world. Over the last 26 years we’ve helped investors navigate almost every major economic cycle. We’ve also been on the forefront of every big financial story from the rise of Bitcoin and MRNA vaccines to robotics and artificial intelligence – just to name a few. But today, I’m breaking the biggest story of my career… An economic story the likes of which we’ve not seen in centuries. In fact, the last – and only time – this happened was in 1776. But now, on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, it’s happening again. And as you’ll discover today, the aftershock of this event could “reset” not just your personal wealth, but the entire U.S. economic system: How you work, how you vote, how you protect and build your wealth… it’s all being turned upside down by what one famous Stanford economist says is: “The biggest change ever… bigger than electricity… bigger than the steam engine.” Yet almost nobody is prepared for it. So, if you’ve been watching the chaos of the past year unfold, struggling to understand what it all means… you’re about to get many - if not all - of the answers you’ve been searching for. And, most importantly, what it all means for you, your money, and your investment portfolio in the months ahead Because as you’ll discover, everything from the government taking stakes in companies like Intel, Lithium Americas, and MP Materials. To Trump’s strike on Venezuela… his deal with Greenland… his seemingly never-ending slew of executive orders… and increasingly centralized grip over the economy… All the way to the surging popularity of radical socialist politicians like Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Zohran Mamdani… It’s all deeply and inexorably intertwined in what is, without a doubt, the most consequential story of the year. A turning point that one Nobel Prize winner says is dividing not just the economy but our entire society. And, as my guest and I explain, the financial decisions you make in the face of this New 1776 Moment… they could dictate whether you’re enriched, left stuck in the past, or potentially even impoverished by the seismic changes barreling down upon America. The stocks to buy… the stocks to sell… and the three money moves to ensure you and your loved ones end up on the winning side of this new economic reality. It’s all laid out here for you… 
Good investing, Porter Stansberry
Additional Reading from MarketBeat Media PayPal Stock Halted on Stripe Rumor: Why the Narrative Just ChangedAuthor: Jeffrey Neal Johnson. Article Published: 2/25/2026. 
Key Points- A report that Stripe is in preliminary talks to acquire some or all of PayPal triggered a volatility halt and a fast re-rating in PYPL shares.
- The valuation gap between PayPal’s public market cap and Stripe’s private valuation helps explain why investors see meaningful upside in a deal scenario.
- The timing—during PayPal’s leadership transition—increases the odds that the board will seriously weigh strategic alternatives, including a transaction.
- Special Report: Trump's Secret Weapon (From American Alternative)
The end of February shattered the silence surrounding PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) stock. For months, investors watched shares drift lower, disheartened by a disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report and weak guidance for the year ahead. The narrative painted the fintech pioneer as a value trap destined for slow growth — until a volatility halt froze trading screens across Wall Street. PayPal stock triggered a Limit Up/Limit Down (LULD) circuit breaker on Feb. 24, 2026, pausing activity as buy orders flooded the market. The catalyst was a Bloomberg report that payments giant Stripe is in preliminary talks to acquire some or all of PayPal. When trading resumed, shares closed up 6.72% at $47.01. Volume surged to nearly 200% of the daily average, suggesting institutional participation rather than just retail speculation. This episode represents a fundamental re-rating for the stock. At a market capitalization of roughly $43 billion, PayPal was trading like a no-growth business. Interest from a major competitor, however, implies the company's strategic worth is far higher than the market price reflected. The rumor has effectively placed a floor under the stock, turning it from a turnaround story into a potential arbitrage opportunity. Math Problem: $159 Billion vs. $43 BillionThe financial logic behind a potential deal highlights a stark disconnect between public and private valuations. Stripe recently disclosed a valuation of about $159 billion based on its latest funding rounds and secondary-market activity, while PayPal's public market cap is roughly $43 billion. That gap underscores how differently the market is pricing fintech assets. - Stripe: Valued at ~ $159 billion. Dominates backend merchant processing but lacks a direct consumer app.
- PayPal: Valued at ~ $43 billion. Owns a consumer wallet with 400 million+ active accounts but has struggled to grow checkout usage.
Merging Stripe's merchant infrastructure with PayPal's consumer ecosystem would create an end-to-end payments behemoth capable of challenging any global financial institution. Smart-money investors look past the current headwinds in branded checkout growth and focus on PayPal's massive user base and roughly $6 billion in free cash flow, trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 8.7x. That multiple is unusually low for a tech company producing significant cash. Consider how the data would combine: Stripe knows what merchants are selling; PayPal knows who is buying. Together, those datasets create a powerful loop between advertising and conversion — something Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Meta (NASDAQ: META) have chased for years. That strategic potential helps explain the market's positive reaction to the rumor. The Leadership Void: Why Stripe Might Move NowThe timing of these rumors is notable. PayPal is navigating a leadership transition: incoming CEO Enrique Lores, formerly of HP (NYSE: HPQ), is scheduled to take the reins on March 1, 2026. That creates an interregnum — the period between regimes — which can be a window of vulnerability. Interim CEO Jamie Miller is steering the company now, but interim leaders are often constrained from making sweeping strategic moves or rejecting credible buyout offers without board approval. An acquirer may prefer to move before Lores settles in and implements a standalone strategy that could make a deal more expensive or complex. Investors should consider two scenarios for Lores: - The Dealmaker: Lores arrives with a mandate to maximize shareholder value quickly — potentially negotiating a sale or spinning off assets like Venmo to realize returns.
- The Defender: Lores defends PayPal's independence, arguing his turnaround plan will generate more value than any buyout premium.
Either outcome forces the board to objectively reassess the company's value, which tends to benefit the share price. The Bidding War: Who Else Is Watching?If Stripe is examining the books, others cannot ignore the possibility of an acquisition. A takeover could spark a competitive auction involving several strategic and financial buyers. - Major banks: They have capital but generally lack the consumer tech stack for a seamless wallet. Buying PayPal would provide instant access to a global customer base and an established wallet, though integration would be complex.
- Private equity: Financial buyers prize cash-generating businesses. A leveraged buyout could take PayPal private, enable restructuring away from quarterly scrutiny, and potentially lead to asset breakups that unlock value.
A sum-of-the-parts analysis indicates that selling Venmo as a standalone asset while retaining the processing business could justify a valuation well above the current ~$47 share price. Venmo's engagement and younger demographic could command a premium that explains much of PayPal's total market value. The Floor Is In: Options Traders Make Their MoveOptions-market activity supports the bullish sentiment shift. After the halt, there was aggressive buying of call options for late February and March expirations, with traders paying premiums for the right to buy at higher prices — a bet on continued momentum or an imminent deal announcement. This flow implies the market expects volatility to resolve to the upside. Technically, rumored acquisition interest establishes a tangible support level. Before the news, shares were trading near $38, a price that reflected a worst-case scenario. With M&A on the table, the $38–$40 range now looks like a concrete floor; a return to those lows is unlikely while a buyout is possible. Any dip will likely draw buyers aiming to capture the spread between the trading price and a potential offer. Regulatory hurdles remain a legitimate concern. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would closely scrutinize a merger of this size, particularly one combining Stripe and PayPal. For traders, though, the regulatory outcome matters less than the announcement itself: a deal announcement typically lifts the stock close to the offer price. Whether the transaction ultimately closes — months or years later — is a separate risk, but the initial re-rating creates the immediate opportunity investors seek. Asymmetric Upside: The New Rules for PayPal StockTuesday's events have rewritten PayPal's investment case. The story has shifted from execution and margin pressure to asset realization and strategic value. Downside risk is now cushioned by strong cash generation and the presence of deep-pocketed suitors. For investors, the situation offers an attractive asymmetric risk/reward. If a deal occurs, upside would be swift and substantial. If no deal materializes, the stock remains supported by compelling value metrics and a new CEO with a mandate to unlock shareholder value. The market has signaled that PayPal is too cheap to ignore — and the circuit-breaker halt served as the alarm bell waking investors to the opportunity.
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