This PayPal Competitor Is Having Its Worst Week In 4 Months — But It’s Still Crushing PYPL In 2026

• Meanwhile, PayPal stock is down about 3.5% this year. 
• In the first quarter, the company beat Wall Street expectations, reporting earnings per share of $1.43 and revenue of $135.5 million, up 29.2% year over year.
• User growth and engagement have also stayed strong through the year.

‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ firm Sezzle Inc. (SEZL) is headed for its worst weekly decline since March this year, but it barely puts a dent in the company’s 2026 performance. 

The PayPal Holdings (PYPL) rival’s shares are down about 9% this week but have soared by over 150% year-to-date. Meanwhile, PYPL stock is down about 3.5% in the same time. 

Why Has SEZL Stock Outperformed In 2026?

Sezzle has been one of the market's top-performing fintech stocks in 2026, backed by strong financial results and improving profitability. 

In the first quarter, the company beat Wall Street expectations with earnings per share of $1.43 on revenue of $135.5 million, up 29.2% year over year. Management also raised its full-year adjusted net income guidance to $180 million and projected 30% to 35% revenue growth for 2026, reinforcing confidence in the company's growth trajectory.

Meanwhile, user growth and engagement also stayed strong through the year. Active subscribers surged 48.4% in Q1 year-on-year to 714,000, while Monthly On-Demand Users and Subscribers rose 34.8% to 887,000. Active consumers increased 13.6% to 3.1 million. 

Customer engagement also strengthened, with average quarterly purchase frequency reaching a record 7.1 transactions per user, up from 6.1 a year earlier. Repeat customers accounted for 97% of all platform orders, total transactions climbed 35.8% to 9.9 million and Gross Merchandise Volume went up by 37.3% to $1.1 billion.

SEZL Stock: Does Wall Street See More Upside?

As per Koyfin data, SEZL stock has a 12-month average price target of $163.67, implying an upside of just about 3% from its last close. Of the seven analysts covering the stock, three have a ‘Buy’ or higher rating while the rest have a ‘Hold’ rating. 

Meanwhile, PYPL stock’s 12-month average price target of $52.68 implies a downside of about 6% from its last close. 

SEZL Stock: Retail Investors Are Buying The Dip

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around SEZL stock improved from ‘extremely bearish’ to ‘bearish’ territory over 24 hours, while message volumes spiked 122% in the same time. 

One user said, “$SEZL nothing but an opportunity to buy this stock for better price than yesterday.”

Another user said, “$SEZL Buy the dip.”

A third user said, “$SEZL Investors were told when to Buy ($50-60) and when to Sell ($180-187).  Congratulations to those who listened.  Note: Overall-this is an Excellent Company (as I have highlighted), so be cognizent of its valuation and earnings ongoing.”

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