Western Union (NYSE:WU) Stock Rating Upgraded by Barclays

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

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Western Union presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.73.

Western Union Price Performance

WU stock opened at $7.84 on Tuesday. 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 firm has a market cap of $2.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.77, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.46. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $7.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.88. Western Union has a 12-month low of $6.91 and a 12-month high of $10.35.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last posted 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 business had revenue of $963.50 million during 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Western Union will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Western Union

In related news, 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 sale, the insider directly owned 234,689 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,166,179.47. The trade was a 7.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.47, for a total value of $56,820.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 311,292 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,947,935.24. This trade represents a 1.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 3.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 606.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,265 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,803 shares in the last quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new stake in Western Union during the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its holdings in Western Union by 1,546.5% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 3,326 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 3,124 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 1,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Western Union by 179.6% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 3,341 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 2,146 shares in the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Western Union

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.