Monness Crespi & Hardt Cuts Western Union (NYSE:WU) Price Target to $5.00

Western Union (NYSE:WU) had its price target lowered by Monness Crespi & Hardt from $6.00 to $5.00 in a research note published on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a sell rating on the credit services provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on WU. Weiss Ratings upgraded Western Union from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on Western Union from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 31st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and eight have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Strong Sell” and a consensus target price of $7.45.

Western Union Stock Performance

NYSE WU opened at $6.17 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.93 billion, a PE ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $7.19 and a 200-day moving average of $8.01. Western Union has a 52-week low of $5.94 and a 52-week high of $10.35.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. Western Union had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 50.89%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.37 EPS. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Western Union will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be given a dividend of $0.2350 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 15.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is presently 76.42%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Western Union by 179.6% during the fourth 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 during the period. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in Western Union in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Western Union by 197.3% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,516 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 4,324 shares in the last quarter. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in shares of Western Union in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 1st quarter worth approximately $64,000. Institutional investors own 91.81% of the company’s stock.

About Western Union

Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) is a global provider of money movement and payment services. The company enables consumers and businesses to send and receive money across borders and within individual markets through digital platforms, mobile applications and a network of retail agent locations.

Its services include consumer money transfers, international remittances, bill payments and money orders. Customers can typically initiate transfers online, through the Western Union app or at participating retail locations, with recipients able to collect funds in cash or receive them through eligible bank accounts, digital wallets or other payment methods, depending on the destination market.

Western Union traces its origins to 1851, when it was established as a telegraph company in the United States.