Western Union (NYSE:WU) Upgraded at Barclays

Western Union (NYSE:WU) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Barclays to a “strong sell” rating in a research note 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.73.

Western Union Stock Up 1.6%

NYSE WU opened at $7.84 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $7.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.88. Western Union has a one year low of $6.91 and a one year high of $10.35. The firm has a market cap of $2.45 billion, a PE ratio of 5.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) 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 net margin of 10.88% and a return on equity of 55.94%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.41 EPS. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Western Union will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Western Union

In other news, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the insider owned 311,292 shares in the company, valued at $2,947,935.24. The trade was a 1.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total value of $183,898.52. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 234,689 shares in the company, valued at $2,166,179.47. This trade represents a 7.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Western Union

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its position in Western Union by 606.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,265 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,803 shares during the period. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 stake in shares of 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 holdings in 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 during the period. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.