Western Union (NYSE:WU) Stock Price Down 4.3% After Analyst Downgrade

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU)’s share price fell 4.3% during mid-day trading on Monday after Citigroup lowered their price target on the stock from $9.50 to $8.50. Citigroup currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Western Union traded as low as $8.47 and last traded at $8.4960. Approximately 1,054,353 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 8,584,625 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.88.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Western Union from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Barclays started coverage on Western Union in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $7.00 target price for the company. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.45.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total value of $183,898.52. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 234,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,166,179.47. This trade represents a 7.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of Western Union 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 approximately $2,947,935.24. This trade represents a 1.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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.

Institutional Trading of Western Union

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its holdings in shares of Western Union by 606.7% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its stake 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 3,124 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,336 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Western Union by 179.6% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 3,341 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 2,146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in Western Union in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Western Union Trading Down 3.1%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $7.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $8.83. The company has a market cap of $2.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.33, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.46.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last issued its 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 company had revenue of $963.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Western Union Company will post 1.75 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were paid a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.9%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.12%.

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.