Evercore ISI Boosts Western Union (NYSE:WU) Price Target to $14.00

Western Union (NYSE:WU) had its target price lifted by Evercore ISI from $13.00 to $14.00 in a report released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an in-line rating on the credit services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on WU. Monness Crespi & Hardt began coverage on shares of Western Union in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Wolfe Research restated an underperform rating on shares of Western Union in a report on Thursday, January 4th. William Blair reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Western Union in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Western Union from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $16.00 target price on shares of Western Union in a research report on Tuesday, December 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $13.05.

Western Union Price Performance

NYSE WU opened at $13.98 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.23. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $12.57. The company has a market cap of $4.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.32, a P/E/G ratio of 5.04 and a beta of 0.84. Western Union has a 1 year low of $10.37 and a 1 year high of $14.19.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The credit services provider reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. Western Union had a net margin of 14.37% and a return on equity of 113.63%. The business’s revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.32 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Western Union will post 1.68 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.72%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. Western Union’s payout ratio is 55.95%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Western Union news, Director Timothy P. Murphy purchased 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $12.85 per share, for a total transaction of $128,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 56,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $722,234.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 134.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,956 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,123 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in shares of Western Union in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Western Union in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 92.2% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,366 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 310.5% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,615 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,978 shares in the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Western Union Company Profile

The Western Union Company provides money movement and payment services worldwide. The company operates through Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services segments. The Consumer Money Transfer segment facilitates money transfers for international cross-border and intra-country transfers, primarily through a network of retail agent locations, as well as through websites and mobile devices.