The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) have been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the fourteen analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and ten have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $8.80.

Several research firms recently commented on WU. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Western Union from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Citigroup raised shares of Western Union to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Western Union from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th.

Insider Activity at Western Union

In related news, insider Giovanni Angelini purchased 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $8.95 per share, with a total value of $89,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 186,932 shares in the company, valued at $1,673,041.40. This trade represents a 5.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Union

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ethic Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Western Union during the second quarter valued at about $360,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in Western Union during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,558,000. Novem Group acquired a new stake in Western Union during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $769,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its holdings in Western Union by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 69,894 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $589,000 after acquiring an additional 3,399 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in Western Union by 414.7% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 1,180,426 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $9,939,000 after acquiring an additional 951,066 shares during the period. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Western Union Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WU opened at $9.26 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $2.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.51. The business’s 50 day moving average is $9.16 and its 200-day moving average is $8.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. Western Union has a 1-year low of $7.85 and a 1-year high of $11.94.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.04. Western Union had a return on equity of 60.85% and a net margin of 18.80%.The business had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.46 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Western Union has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Western Union will post 1.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is 41.05%.

Western Union Company Profile

Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. The company enables individuals and businesses to send and receive money through a variety of channels, including its vast agent network, online platforms, and mobile applications. Core services include person-to-person money transfers, business-to-business cross-border payments, bill payment services and prepaid card programs.

Through its digital offerings, Western Union provides customers with the ability to initiate transfers via its website and mobile app, as well as track transactions in real time.