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CRCL vs. PYPL: Circle Internet vs. PayPal Stock Comparison

How do Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Circle Internet (CRCL) is classified in the Information Technology sector (Software & Services), whereas PayPal (PYPL) belongs to Financials (Financial Services) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

PayPal (PYPL) has been public since July 6, 2015, giving it a longer listed trading history, while Circle Internet (CRCL) listed on June 5, 2025 and still has a shorter public-market record.

Company profile comparison for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
Profile ItemCRCLPYPL
NameCircle Internet Group, Inc. Class APayPal Holdings, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorInformation TechnologyFinancials
GICS Industry GroupSoftware & ServicesFinancial Services
GICS IndustrySoftwareFinancial Services
GICS Sub-IndustryApplication SoftwareTransaction & Payment Processing Services
Market Capitalization17.41 billion USD49.21 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateJune 5, 2025July 6, 2015
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CRCL
PYPL
GSPC
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
Total Return (1Y)-33.88%-7.44%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)--4.14%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)---21.48%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CRCL
PYPL
GSPC
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)96.01%42.40%
Beta (5Y)0.841.28
Max Drawdown (5Y)-80.93%-81.84%
Avg. Volume (3M)12.74M11.78M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CRCL and PYPL are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.40-0.28
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.61-0.37

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

PayPal (PYPL) at 23.83% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Circle Internet (CRCL) at 13.44% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for PYPL.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

13.44%

Max
53.85%
Q3
17.90%
CRCL
13.44%
Median
6.59%
Q1
-9.59%
Min
-50.52%

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

23.83%

Max
44.78%
PYPL
23.83%
Q3
21.85%
Median
12.91%
Q1
4.48%
Min
-18.71%
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Circle Internet (CRCL) at 15.28% and PayPal (PYPL) at 13.78% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

15.28%

Max
41.17%
CRCL
15.28%
Q3
15.28%
Median
4.63%
Q1
-5.42%
Min
-33.17%

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

13.78%

Max
62.84%
Q3
28.05%
Median
15.36%
PYPL
13.78%
Q1
4.82%
Min
-28.52%
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Circle Internet (CRCL) at 24.09% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of PayPal (PYPL) at 18.41%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

24.09%

Max
46.89%
CRCL
24.09%
Q3
17.64%
Median
8.73%
Q1
-2.13%
Min
-30.45%

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

18.41%

Max
107.33%
Q3
55.90%
Median
30.09%
PYPL
18.41%
Q1
14.60%
Min
-44.34%
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
ROE (TTM)13.44%23.83%
ROA (TTM)0.28%4.70%
Net Margin (TTM)15.28%13.78%
Operating Margin (TTM)24.09%18.41%
Gross Margin (TTM)26.58%--

Growth

Revenue Growth

Circle Internet (CRCL) at 63.86% clears its industry range for revenue growth, far stronger top-line momentum than PayPal (PYPL) at 4.32%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

PayPal (PYPL) at 35.59% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Circle Internet (CRCL) at -640.54% falls below its industry range, a notably weak earnings reading.

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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
Revenue Growth (YoY)63.86%4.32%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)52.66%6.43%
EPS Growth (YoY)-640.54%35.59%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--37.30%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Circle Internet (CRCL) shows current ratio of 1.04; PayPal (PYPL) doesn’t get one — Financial Services balance sheets aren’t split into current and non-current buckets, so short-term liquidity there is judged through regulatory measures instead.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

1.04

Max
5.11
Q3
2.77
Median
1.67
CRCL
1.04
Q1
1.01
Min
0.03

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

--

PYPL
--
Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): PYPL’s current ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for CRCL only.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Circle Internet (CRCL) shows debt-to-equity ratio of 0.00; for PayPal (PYPL) the ratio is set aside — in Financial Services, balance-sheet leverage is part of the business model itself, so capital-adequacy measures do the job this ratio does elsewhere.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

0.00

Max
2.52
Q3
1.13
Median
0.40
Q1
0.07
CRCL
0.00
Min
0.00

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

--

PYPL
--
Max
--
Q3
--
Median
--
Q1
--
Min
--
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): PYPL’s debt-to-equity ratio is not assessed under the Financial Services industry convention, so the chart shows available visual context for CRCL only.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.04--
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.00--
Net Debt / EBITDA-4.68--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Circle Internet (CRCL) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile PayPal (PYPL) reports a yield of 0.95%, ranking against industry peers normally.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

CRCL
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

0.95%

Max
9.77%
Q3
3.92%
Median
1.09%
PYPL
0.95%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Circle Internet (CRCL) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile PayPal (PYPL) reports a payout of 10.69%, ranking against industry peers normally.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

CRCL
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

10.69%

Max
241.07%
Q3
97.36%
Median
25.77%
PYPL
10.69%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.95%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%10.69%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Circle Internet (CRCL) at 40.89 and PayPal (PYPL) at 11.31 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

40.89

Max
112.94
Q3
60.32
CRCL
40.89
Median
32.91
Q1
18.77
Min
6.69

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

11.31

Max
45.85
Q3
24.64
Median
15.37
PYPL
11.31
Q1
9.68
Min
0.16
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Circle Internet (CRCL) at 5.75 and PayPal (PYPL) at 1.43 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

5.75

Max
17.91
Q3
8.78
CRCL
5.75
Median
4.25
Q1
2.23
Min
0.02

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

1.43

Max
9.23
Q3
4.57
Median
2.72
PYPL
1.43
Q1
1.28
Min
-0.55
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Circle Internet (CRCL) at 4.50 and PayPal (PYPL) at 2.55 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

CRCL

Software & Services industry group

4.50

Max
16.63
Q3
8.50
CRCL
4.50
Median
4.30
Q1
1.92
Min
-3.90

PYPL

Financial Services industry group

2.55

Max
7.79
Q3
3.63
PYPL
2.55
Median
1.57
Q1
0.81
Min
-0.39
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Circle Internet (CRCL) vs. PayPal (PYPL): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Software & Services and Financial Services industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Circle Internet (CRCL) and PayPal (PYPL)
MetricCRCLPYPL
P/E Ratio (TTM)40.8911.31
P/S Ratio (TTM)5.751.43
P/B Ratio (MRQ)4.502.55
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.43%--