Western Union (NYSE:WU) Upgraded at Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Western Union (NYSE:WU) to a strong sell rating in a research note released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on WU. Susquehanna boosted their price objective 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. Citigroup raised Western Union to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Western Union in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Western Union from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $8.82.

Western Union Stock Performance

Shares of WU stock opened at $9.38 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.09, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.51. Western Union has a fifty-two week low of $7.85 and a fifty-two week high of $11.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $9.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.72.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.0%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is 41.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Western Union news, insider Giovanni Angelini bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $8.95 per share, for a total transaction of $89,500.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 186,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,673,041.40. This represents a 5.65% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Union

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its holdings in shares of Western Union by 606.7% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,265 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 2,803 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Western Union by 260.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,593 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 2,597 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its stake in Western Union by 1,546.5% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 3,326 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 3,124 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Western Union by 164.9% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,581 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 2,229 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of Western Union in the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Western Union

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.