The Western Union Company $WU Stock Position Lifted by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) by 506.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,187,040 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 991,341 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in Western Union were worth $11,051,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 2,803 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its position in Western Union by 1,546.5% during the fourth 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. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in Western Union by 67.0% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,331 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,336 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 2,229 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Western Union in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Western Union Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of WU stock opened at $7.48 on Monday. The Western Union Company has a 1 year low of $7.38 and a 1 year high of $10.35. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $8.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.15). The business had revenue of $963.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. Western Union had a net margin of 10.88% and a return on equity of 55.94%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Western Union Company will post 1.76 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.6%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.12%.

Insider Transactions at Western Union

In other news, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total transaction of $183,898.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 234,689 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,166,179.47. This represents a 7.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.47, for a total transaction of $56,820.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 311,292 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,947,935.24. This represents a 1.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Corporate insiders own 3.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Western Union in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $8.82.

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.