Western Union (NYSE:WU) Stock Rating Upgraded by Cantor Fitzgerald

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

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup raised Western Union to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Western Union in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Western Union from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.82.

Western Union Price Performance

Western Union stock opened at $9.38 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $9.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $8.72. The stock has a market cap of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.51. Western Union has a 12-month low of $7.85 and a 12-month high of $11.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Western Union news, insider Giovanni Angelini purchased 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $8.95 per share, for a total transaction of $89,500.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 186,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,673,041.40. This trade represents a 5.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its holdings in shares of Western Union by 28.0% during the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 16,948,328 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $135,417,000 after buying an additional 3,708,291 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Western Union by 0.4% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,275,287 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $111,778,000 after purchasing an additional 58,070 shares during the period. Discerene Group LP raised its stake in shares of Western Union by 55.1% during the second quarter. Discerene Group LP now owns 10,366,558 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $87,286,000 after purchasing an additional 3,684,366 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 11,759.8% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,954,045 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $74,052,000 after purchasing an additional 7,886,978 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Western Union by 32.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,786,647 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $54,225,000 after buying an additional 1,656,295 shares during the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is currently 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.