We recently published a list of the 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years. In this article, we are going to take a look at where PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) stands against other stocks that should double in 3 years.

On April 25, Kari Firestone, Aureus Asset Management executive chairman and co-founder, joined CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the latest market trends and express how this is a reasonable place for long-term investors to enter the market. Despite persistent concerns about a recession coming from tariffs, Firestone thinks that corporate earnings have generally exceeded expectations. The strong performance of major tech companies has been a key driver behind the market’s recent gains, such as those in the MAG7. Elaborating on the significance of these tech giants, Firestone also underscored that the top 2 companies in the S&P 500, regardless of which they are, match the market value of the bottom 300 companies in the index. This concentration means that these leading firms are fundamental to the US economy’s progress.

The conversation then addressed the impact of proposed FDA budget cuts on innovation for biotech companies. Firestone agreed that such cuts could slow down the approval process for new products and drug manufacturing, and she advised against reducing the FDA’s budget. However, she believes that the market has already priced in these risks. She compared the situation to previous market overreactions, such as the 32% drop during the early COVID-19 period, which was followed by a rapid recovery.

Firestone also concluded that the market is now fairly valued. Some sectors offer attractive opportunities due to recent price declines. She assessed the overall market valuation in light of tariff uncertainties and the recent rebound from a 20% drop to a current decline of about 10.5%. She explained that the market’s price-to-earnings multiple has decreased from 22.5x next year’s earnings to 18.5x, assuming no severe recession. She’s confident that the market is unlikely to end the year lower than current levels and recommends that long-term investors enter the market at this stage. Firestone believes that the market has partially priced in the impact of tariffs. She estimated that a 5% to 10% tariff is reflected in current prices. While a full-blown recession may not be entirely priced in, a slowdown likely is.

Our Methodology

We sifted through financial media reports and Reddit threads to compile a list of the top 30 stocks that should double in 3 years. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q4 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 1000 elite money managers.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

A consumer in a cafe paying for goods using a mobile payment app.

PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 94

PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) is a technology platform that enables digital payments for merchants and consumers worldwide. It operates a two-sided network at scale that connects merchants and consumers that enables its customers to connect, transact, and send and receive payments through online and in-person channels.

In Q4 2024, PayPal saw a 4% year-over-year increase in its net revenue to total $8.37 billion. The company also recorded a 2% increase in year-over-year active users. It has more than $11 billion in cash and assets on its balance sheet, along with $5 billion in annual free cash flow. In 2024, PayPal’s branded checkout segment saw consistent quarterly growth in transaction margin dollars, with US growth particularly accelerating in Q4.

PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) now has 432 million active accounts in 200+ countries. Upgraded checkout experiences, which are now live for more than 25% of US traffic, reduce latency by 40% when fully implemented and boost conversion rates by 1%. The company now has a focus on becoming a commerce platform and expanding into B2B bill pay.

Wedgewood Partners stated the following regarding PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) in its Q1 2025 investor letter:

“PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) was a leading detractor from performance for portfolios during the quarter. The Company’s branded checkout grew by a healthy +6% while total payment volumes grew by +7% during the Company’s most recent quarter. PayPal also outlined several reinvestment initiatives across its platform that continue to accelerate its branded checkout volume growth back to double digits. In addition, the Company has authorized nearly $20 billion in share repurchases which represents nearly a third of its market cap as of quarter end. We continue to hold PayPal as one of our largest active weights in portfolios.”

Overall, PYPL ranks 12th on our list of the stocks that should double in 3 years. While we acknowledge the growth potential of PYPL, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PYPL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.