Western Union (NYSE:WU) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Here’s Why

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $7.21 and last traded at $7.2650, with a volume of 8658525 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $7.49.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut Western Union from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.82.

Western Union Price Performance

The business’s 50 day moving average price is $8.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $9.06. 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 company has a market cap of $2.23 billion, a PE ratio of 5.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.46.

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

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.12%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of Western Union stock in a transaction dated 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. The trade was a 1.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total value of $183,898.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 234,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,166,179.47. This trade represents a 7.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. RiverFront Investment Group LLC grew its position in shares of Western Union by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC now owns 28,662 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 1,278 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in Western Union by 67.0% during 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 during the last quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Western Union by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors now owns 9,992 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 1,381 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Western Union by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 239,428 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,229,000 after purchasing an additional 1,398 shares during the period. Finally, Michels Family Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Western Union by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Michels Family Financial LLC now owns 46,722 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 1,436 shares during the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.