PayPal shares rose 4.80% to $55.13 Friday as traders circulated an unconfirmed Betaville alert about a possible all-stock acquisition by a West Coast technology company. PayPal’s board reportedly favors an all-cash transaction. Earlier discussions involving Stripe and Advent ended last month after a dispute over a $2 billion termination fee; the consortium had considered a cash offer of up to $68 per share for a deal valued above $50 billion. Great Hill Capital Chairman Thomas Hayes separately proposed that Meta Platforms acquire PayPal for $90 billion, arguing that transaction data could strengthen Meta’s advertising business. Deutsche Bank raised its PayPal price target to $55 from $50 while keeping a Hold rating. The stock remained above its 100-day and 200-day moving averages but below its 50-day average, with an RSI of 50.75.