Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Invests $1.18 Million in The Western Union Company $WU

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 152,961 shares of the credit services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,178,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 606.7% during 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. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Western Union by 67.0% in the 4th 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 grew its holdings in shares of Western Union by 179.6% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in Western Union in the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in Western Union in the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Western Union Stock Performance

Western Union stock opened at $7.24 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $7.61 and a 200-day moving average of $8.41. The firm has a market cap of $2.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 0.47. The Western Union Company has a 1-year low of $6.27 and a 1-year high of $10.35.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.11). Western Union had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 50.89%. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.37 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that The Western Union Company will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is currently 76.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Monness Crespi & Hardt restated a “sell” rating and set a $6.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Wolfe Research reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $8.00 target price on shares of Western Union in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their target price on Western Union from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Western Union from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and eight have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Strong Sell” and a consensus target price of $7.55.

Western Union 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.