Paytm shares hit 52-week high as fintech rolls out UPI Lite auto top-up for small payments

Paytm shares rallied over 4% to hit their 52-week high at Rs 939 in Monday’s trade on BSE after the digital payments service provider announced the launch of an automatic top-up feature for its UPI LITE service, enabling PIN-less transactions for payments under Rs 500.

The new feature, currently available for select Yes Bank and Axis Bank users, automatically recharges the UPI LITE balance when it falls below a predetermined limit.

The UPI LITE service allows daily transactions of up to Rs 2,000, catering to small-value payments like groceries, transportation, and daily purchases. Users can top up their UPI LITE balance directly from linked bank accounts, with a focus on seamless, clutter-free transactions.

Additionally, Paytm has introduced a UPI statement download feature, enabling users to track transactions made through UPI LITE separately. These small transactions are processed through an on-device wallet, avoiding the need to access bank accounts directly, which keeps bank statements streamlined.

Also Read: Investors gain nearly Rs 9 lakh crore in post-election D-Street rally

Paytm’s UPI service operates in partnership with major Indian banks, including the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and Yes Bank. The platform has expanded internationally, supporting UPI payments in several countries, including the UAE, Singapore, France, Mauritius, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

Despite the early rally, Paytm shares saw some profit booking during the session. As of 1:24 pm, the stock was trading at Rs 889.8, down 1.1%. Meanwhile, over the past three months, the stock has gained 60%, and in six months, it has risen 160%. Paytm’s current market capitalization stands at Rs 56,711 crore.

Brokerage Take on Paytm

Global brokerage Bernstein also reaffirmed its bullish stance on Paytm, raising the target price for the fintech giant from Rs 750 to Rs 1,000 per share.

While maintaining an ‘Outperform’ rating, Bernstein notes that discussions around Paytm have shifted from survival concerns to focused analysis of both bull and bear case scenarios.

In the bull case, Bernstein expects Paytm to benefit from lending partly from its balance sheet, alongside improvements in payment margins. This could lead to a ~100% upside in its base case earnings per share (EPS) estimates. However, in the bear case, Bernstein sees payment margins coming under pressure, and loan disbursal growth could slow down, resulting in a 40% downside to their base case EPS estimates.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)