 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
Monday's Bonus Article PayPal Stock Halted on Stripe Rumor: Why the Narrative Just ChangedAuthored by Jeffrey Neal Johnson. 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: My blood is boiling… and yours should be too (From The Oxford Club)
The end of February shattered the silence surrounding PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) stock. For months, investors had watched shares drift lower, disheartened by a disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report and lackluster guidance for the year ahead. The narrative increasingly 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 after 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 spiked to nearly 200% of the average daily level, suggesting institutional participation rather than purely retail speculation. I've Rarely Seen This With Silver
This combination - 20% dividends + 68% share appreciation - never happens with silver. But it is now possible thanks to a new ETF that delivers the best of worlds. Click here to watch the video. This episode may mark a material shift in how the market values PayPal. At a market capitalization of roughly $43 billion, the company was trading as if it had no growth. Interest from a major competitor implies PayPal's strategic worth is considerably higher. The rumor effectively placed a floor under the stock, turning it from a turnaround story into a high-stakes arbitrage opportunity. Math Problem: $159 Billion vs. $43 BillionThe financial logic behind a potential deal exposes a stark disconnect between public and private valuations. Stripe's most recent funding rounds and secondary-market activity imply a valuation near $159 billion, while PayPal's public market cap sits around $43 billion. That gap highlights how differently the market prices fintech assets. - Stripe: Valued at ~ $159 billion. Dominates backend merchant processing but lacks a direct consumer app.
- PayPal: Valued at ~ $43 billion. Controls the consumer wallet with 400 million+ active accounts but has struggled to reignite checkout growth.
Merging Stripe's merchant infrastructure with PayPal's consumer ecosystem would create an end-to-end payments behemoth capable of competing with the largest financial and tech firms globally. Smart-money investors look past the near-term headwinds and see a massive user base and roughly $6 billion in free cash flow trading at a price-to-earnings ratio near 8.7x — a bargain-multiple for a tech company generating significant cash. If combined, Stripe would know what merchants are selling; PayPal would know who is buying. That union would produce an exceptionally rich dataset — the sort of closed loop between ad impression and purchase that companies like Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Meta (NASDAQ: META) have chased for years. That strategic upside helps explain the bullish market reaction to the rumor. The Leadership Void: Why Strike Now?The timing of the 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 transition creates an interregnum — a window of vulnerability between regimes. Today the company is being led by Interim CEO Jamie Miller. Interim leadership is typically less likely to approve sweeping strategic shifts or rebuff credible buyout approaches without significant board involvement. An acquirer like Stripe may prefer to move while the outgoing regime's authority fades and before a new CEO can entrench a standalone turnaround plan that could raise the acquisition price. Investors must now weigh two likely scenarios for Lores: - The Dealmaker: Lores arrives with a mandate to maximize shareholder value quickly — negotiating a sale, a large asset spinoff (for example, Venmo), or another transaction to realize outsized returns.
- The Defender: Lores defends PayPal's independence, arguing that his turnaround strategy will generate greater long-term value than any buyout premium on the table.
Either way, the presence of a credible bidder forces the board to reassess the company's value objectively, which typically benefits the share price. The Bidding War: Who Else Is Watching?If Stripe is scrutinizing PayPal's books, other industry players cannot afford to stand aside. The possibility of a takeover raises the odds of a competitive auction. - Major Banks: Banks have the capital but often lack the front-end technology and consumer engagement for a seamless wallet. Buying PayPal would provide instant scale and customer relationships, even if integration would be complex.
- Private Equity: Financial buyers prize cash flow. A leveraged buyout could take PayPal private, enable restructuring away from quarterly scrutiny, and potentially split the company into higher-valued parts.
A sum-of-the-parts scenario — selling Venmo separately while keeping the core processing business — could unlock value well above the recent $47-per-share level. Venmo's engagement and younger user base alone could command a significant valuation chunk of PayPal's total market cap. The Floor Is In: Options Traders Make Their MoveOptions-market activity reflects the shift in sentiment. After the halt, there was aggressive buying of call options for late February and March expirations, with traders paying a premium for the right to buy at higher prices. That flow suggests the market expects volatility to resolve to the upside or is positioning for a formal deal announcement. Technically, the rumored interest has created a tangible support level. Before the news, shares were trading around $38 — a price that implied a worst-case outcome. With M&A now on the table, the $38–$40 range functions as a concrete floor; it's unlikely the stock will revisit those lows while a credible buyout possibility exists. Any dip is likely to attract investors looking to capture the spread between the market price and a potential offer. Regulatory scrutiny remains a legitimate concern. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would closely review any deal, especially one combining Stripe and PayPal. Still, for traders, the initial announcement matters most: deal news typically drives the stock toward the offer price immediately. Whether the transaction ultimately clears regulators is a separate, longer-term risk, but the initial re-rating provides the immediate market opportunity. Asymmetric Upside: The New Rules for PayPal StockTuesday's events have materially rewritten the investment case for PayPal. The narrative has shifted from execution risk and margin pressure to asset realization and strategic value. Downside risk is now cushioned by healthy cash generation and the fact that deep-pocketed suitors appear to be circling. For investors, the situation presents an attractive asymmetric risk/reward. If a deal emerges, upside is immediate and substantial. If not, the stock still trades at compelling value levels and will be overseen by a new CEO tasked with unlocking shareholder returns. The market has signaled PayPal is too cheap to ignore — and the circuit-breaker halt was the alarm bell that woke investors to that opportunity.
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