GPN vs. PYPL

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

GPN (Global Payments Inc.) and PYPL (PayPal Holdings, Inc.) are both stocks. GPN operates in Specialty Business Services (Industrials), while PYPL operates in Credit Services (Financial Services). Over the past 10 years, GPN returned 0.27%/yr vs 1.56%/yr for PYPL. A 0.53 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

GPN vs. PYPL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Global Payments Inc. (GPN) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GPN achieves a -4.04% return, which is significantly higher than PYPL's -23.49% return. Over the past 10 years, GPN has underperformed PYPL with an annualized return of 0.27%, while PYPL has yielded a comparatively higher 1.56% annualized return.

GPN

• 1D: -1.90%
• 1M: 2.31%
• YTD: -4.04%
• 6M: -5.32%
• 1Y: 0.06%
• 3Y*: -8.73%
• 5Y*: -16.72%
• 10Y*: 0.27%

PYPL

• 1D: -1.46%
• 1M: -11.72%
• YTD: -23.49%
• 6M: -28.99%
• 1Y: -36.88%
• 3Y*: -11.21%
• 5Y*: -29.54%
• 10Y*: 1.56%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

GPN vs. PYPL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GPN Global Payments Inc.	-4.04%	-30.11%	-10.97%	29.02%	-25.91%	-36.91%	18.51%	77.25%	2.92%	44.49%
PYPL PayPal Holdings, Inc.	-23.49%	-31.44%	38.98%	-13.77%	-62.23%	-19.48%	116.51%	28.64%	14.22%	86.52%

Correlation

The correlation between GPN and PYPL is 0.54, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.54
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.51
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.54
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 21, 2015	0.53

The correlation between GPN and PYPL has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.51 to 0.54 - a consistent structural relationship.

Fundamentals

EPS GPN : -$3.90 PYPL : $5.31
PS Ratio GPN : 1.52 PYPL : 1.26
Total Revenue (TTM) GPN : $8.83B PYPL : $33.73B
Gross Profit (TTM) GPN : $4.25B PYPL : $15.56B
EBITDA (TTM) GPN : $2.27B PYPL : $7.23B

Return for Risk

GPN vs. PYPL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

GPN

GPN Risk / Return Rank: 38
GPN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
GPN Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
GPN Omega Ratio Rank: 36
GPN Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
GPN Martin Ratio Rank: 39

PYPL

PYPL Risk / Return Rank: 9
PYPL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5
PYPL Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
PYPL Omega Ratio Rank: 7
PYPL Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
PYPL Martin Ratio Rank: 9

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

GPN vs. PYPL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Global Payments Inc. (GPN) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	GPN	PYPL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.00	-0.95	+0.96
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.30	-1.18	+1.49
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.03	0.83	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.03	-0.73	+0.70
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.06	-1.33	+1.26
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GPN vs. PYPL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GPN Sharpe Ratio is 0.00, which is higher than the PYPL Sharpe Ratio of -0.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GPN and PYPL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	GPN	PYPL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.00	-0.95	+0.96
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.46	-0.71	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.01	0.04	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.38	0.02	+0.36

Drawdowns

GPN vs. PYPL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GPN drawdown since its inception was -70.06%, smaller than the maximum PYPL drawdown of -87.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GPN and PYPL.

Drawdown Indicators

	GPN	PYPL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-70.06%	-87.30%	+17.24%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-29.70%	-49.92%	+20.22%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-53.78%	-57.34%	+3.56%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-66.40%	-87.30%	+20.90%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-70.06%	-87.30%	+17.24%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-64.65%	-85.49%	+20.84%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-18.84%	-35.61%	+16.77%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	14.19%	27.38%	-13.19%

Volatility

GPN vs. PYPL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Global Payments Inc. (GPN) is 7.68%, while PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) has a volatility of 8.86%. This indicates that GPN experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PYPL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GPN	PYPL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.68%	8.86%	-1.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	28.90%	31.36%	-2.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	38.28%	38.82%	-0.54%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	36.33%	42.04%	-5.71%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	34.40%	38.75%	-4.35%

Dividends

GPN vs. PYPL - Dividend Comparison

GPN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.35%, more than PYPL's 0.63% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GPN Global Payments Inc.	1.35%	1.29%	0.89%	0.79%	1.01%	0.66%	0.36%	0.12%	0.04%	0.04%	0.06%	0.06%
PYPL PayPal Holdings, Inc.	0.63%	0.24%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

GPN vs. PYPL - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Global Payments Inc. and PayPal Holdings, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

GPN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Global Payments Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 2.97B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

PYPL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, PayPal Holdings, Inc. reported a gross profit of 3.81B and revenue of 8.35B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 45.6%.

GPN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Global Payments Inc. reported an operating income of -15.65M and revenue of 2.97B, resulting in an operating margin of -0.5%.

PYPL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, PayPal Holdings, Inc. reported an operating income of 1.49B and revenue of 8.35B, resulting in an operating margin of 17.8%.

GPN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Global Payments Inc. reported a net income of -1.80B and revenue of 2.97B, resulting in a net margin of -60.6%.

PYPL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, PayPal Holdings, Inc. reported a net income of 1.11B and revenue of 8.35B, resulting in a net margin of 13.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both GPN and PYPL in my portfolio?

GPN and PYPL have a correlation of 0.54, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, GPN or PYPL?

PYPL has higher volatility (8.86%) compared to GPN (7.68%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GPN dropped -70.06% vs PYPL's -87.30%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

GPN currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.00 vs -0.95), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.