Alex Chriss, CEO of PayPal Inc.Courtesy: PayPalPayPal reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on Tuesday and issued guidance that also topped analysts' expectations.Here's how the company did compared with Wall Street estimates, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:Earnings per share: $1.19, adjusted vs. $1.12 expectedRevenue: $8.37 billion vs. $8.26 billion expectedFor the first quarter, PayPal expects adjusted earnings per share of $1.15 to $1.17, which is higher than the average analyst estimate of $1.13. Earnings for the year will come in at $4.95 to $5.10 a share, topping the $4.90 average estimate, according to LSEG. PayPal also announced a new $15 billion share buyback program, and expects to make around $6 billion in repurchases in 2025.Revenue increased about 4% in the quarter from $8.03 billion a year ago.Total payment volume, an indication of how digital payments are faring in the broader economy, was just short of estimates, coming in at $437.8 billion for the fourth quarter, versus the $438.2 billion analysts projected.While PayPal's take rate slipped to 1.91% from 1.96% a year earlier, transaction margin, which is how the company gauges the profitability of its core business, rose to 47% from 45.8%. In 2024, transaction margin dollars grew 7% to $14.7 billion, bolstered by Braintree, a service Meta uses for credit-card processing.The company said it anticipates growth of 4% to 5% in transaction margin dollars in 2025 to $15.2 billion to $15.4 billionPayPal's stock is up 43% in the past year, as of Monday's close

Ahead of Starbucks’ first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday (Jan. 28), company officials are taking steps to address declining sales and traffic with a series of policy changes. Starting Monday (Jan. 27), Starbucks reinstated condiment bars and return to barista-written names on cups, aiming to recapture the classic coffeehouse experience and improve service efficiency. Additionally, the company is expanding free refills on select orders to all paying customers and enforcing a new code of conduct that limits non-purchasing customers’ access to restrooms and seating. These initiatives are part of CEO Brian Niccol’s strategy to increase customer visits and reverse the company’s recent sales slump, which has led to three consecutive quarters of declining transactions

In today’s retail environment, hyper-personalized customer experiences are essential for driving digital engagement and customer loyalty. With concerns over fraud and the need to stay competitive, retailers are focusing on tailored interactions to improve customer satisfaction and retention. As Ram Ravichandran, CTO at Narvar, told PYMNTS, hyper-personalized experiences, including post-purchase, elevate customer loyalty and competitiveness, “thanks to the widespread availability of advanced large language models from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic.”. Meeting Consumer Expectations for Hyper-Personalization