Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Value Investing -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Harshu Vyas who wrote (78856)	1/4/2026 6:13:55 AM
From: petal	1 Recommendation Recommended By Spekulatius Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 79163

PYPL. I do agree that it's not a Google or a Meta. (PS. Remember when Google traded at P/E 15 a few years ago, and Meta at P/E sub-10? :D) It's perhaps not a great business, but it's a good business (I think). I would probably call it a great business rather than a poor business. (Right now, anyway, and historically – it's always tricky to predict the future!) Maybe they are followers, rather than leaders. But you don't have to be the bleeding-edge guy; take DELL for example, they have made a pretty good business, but their computers aren't exactly a Mac... (Maybe that's not their Dell's fault, though – maybe it's just the Windows software that makes all non-Mac computers subpar. By the way, MSFT hav also carved out a pretty good business, haven't they, although they've copied or bought everything, and invented nothing themselves. I admire a Google or an Apple more – but it's difficult to say that Microsoft isn't as good a company.) Good point about V/MA/AXP being the infrastructure layer! But don't you think that there is another layer on top of that, owned by Stripe, Adyen, etcetera – and maybe PayPal? it's just complex and not easy to hold. I disagree – it would seem to me it's a rather simple business – but maybe I don't know enough! They mostly just take a cut from all payments that are made through their platform, no? Like a modern day toll booth. The technology is probably quite complex (and here I would think that they have a moat), and the technology landscape is too (and fast-changing, sometimes). But as long as they can navigate the treacherous waters of everyday business battle, thy should be alright, it seems to me!