Analysts Set The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) PT at $13.61

Shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) have earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $13.61.

A number of research analysts recently commented on WU shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Western Union from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. William Blair reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Western Union in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Monness Crespi & Hardt started coverage on Western Union in a research report on Wednesday, March 20th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Western Union from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Western Union from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th.

Insider Transactions at Western Union

In related news, Director Timothy P. Murphy purchased 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $12.85 per share, with a total value of $128,500.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 56,205 shares in the company, valued at $722,234.25. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Western Union in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. MCF Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Western Union in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Western Union by 500.5% during the 1st quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,312 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 1,927 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in Western Union during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Western Union during the first quarter worth approximately $41,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Western Union Price Performance

WU opened at $13.37 on Friday. Western Union has a 12-month low of $10.92 and a 12-month high of $14.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.91, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $13.50 and a 200-day moving average of $12.62.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The credit services provider reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Western Union had a return on equity of 120.76% and a net margin of 14.12%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.43 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Western Union will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Western Union

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.