Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Sells 391,539 Shares of The Western Union Company $WU

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp trimmed its stake in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) by 17.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,908,435 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 391,539 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Western Union were worth $15,248,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its stake in shares of Western Union by 649.4% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,462 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Western Union by 667.0% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,602 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 4,002 shares during the period. Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new stake in Western Union during the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. purchased a new stake in Western Union during the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Western Union in the third quarter valued at about $85,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on WU shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Western Union from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Western Union in a report on Monday. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $9.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup upgraded Western Union to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group upped their target price on Western Union from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Western Union has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.82.

Western Union Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:WU opened at $9.38 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. The Western Union Company has a 52-week low of $7.85 and a 52-week high of $11.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.09, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.51. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $9.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.72.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.0%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is 41.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Western Union news, insider Giovanni Angelini bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $8.95 per share, for a total transaction of $89,500.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 186,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,673,041.40. This represents a 5.65% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.58% 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.