Friedenthal Financial Makes New $1.07 Million Investment in The Western Union Company $WU

Friedenthal Financial purchased a new stake in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 122,541 shares of the credit services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,070,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WU. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 606.7% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,265 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 2,803 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its position in Western Union by 1,546.5% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 3,326 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 3,124 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in Western Union by 67.0% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,331 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,336 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 2,146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Western Union by 164.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,581 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 2,229 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.81% of the company’s stock.

Western Union Price Performance

NYSE WU opened at $7.25 on Thursday. The Western Union Company has a 1 year low of $6.91 and a 1 year high of $10.35. The business’s fifty day moving average is $8.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). The company had revenue of $963.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. Western Union had a return on equity of 55.94% and a net margin of 10.88%.The business’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.41 earnings per share. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that The Western Union Company will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.0%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.12%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings lowered Western Union from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.82.

Insider Transactions at Western Union

In related news, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of Western Union 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 transaction, the insider owned 234,689 shares of the company’s stock, 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 SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.47, for a total value of $56,820.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 311,292 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,947,935.24. The trade was a 1.89% decrease in their position. 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. Company insiders own 3.29% of the company’s stock.

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.