Western Union (NYSE:WU) Upgraded at Barclays

Western Union (NYSE:WU) was upgraded by research analysts at Barclays to a “strong sell” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut Western Union from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $8.73.

Western Union Stock Performance

NYSE WU opened at $7.84 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $7.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.88. Western Union has a 52-week low of $6.91 and a 52-week high of $10.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.46.

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

Insider Transactions at Western Union

In other news, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of Western Union stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total transaction of $183,898.52. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 234,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,166,179.47. The trade was a 7.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 311,292 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,947,935.24. This trade represents 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. 3.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Western Union

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 2,803 shares in the last quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Western Union in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 3,124 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 2,146 shares in the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by 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.