Zacks Research Predicts Reduced Earnings for Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) – Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Western Union in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the credit services provider will post earnings per share of $0.40 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.42. The consensus estimate for Western Union’s current full-year earnings is $1.79 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Western Union’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.48 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.47 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.79 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.42 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.51 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.50 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.88 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.93 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also commented on WU. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Western Union in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Western Union to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Susquehanna upped their price target on Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Western Union from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $8.82.

Western Union Trading Up 1.3%

NYSE:WU opened at $9.70 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.51. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $9.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.00, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.19. Western Union has a 52 week low of $7.85 and a 52 week high of $11.94.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The credit services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.02. Western Union had a return on equity of 62.01% and a net margin of 12.33%.The company had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.40 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.7%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.84%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of WU. Alps Advisors Inc. grew its position in Western Union by 53.0% in the 3rd quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 2,399,631 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $19,173,000 after purchasing an additional 831,245 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Western Union during the third quarter worth about $1,018,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in Western Union by 51.1% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 6,329,626 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $50,574,000 after acquiring an additional 2,140,167 shares during the period. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new position in Western Union in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,558,000. Finally, AGF Management Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Western Union by 18.9% during the 3rd quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 381,429 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,048,000 after purchasing an additional 60,513 shares in the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Western Union

Here are the key news stories impacting Western Union this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Western Union announced a partnership with Crossmint to support the rollout of its USDPT stablecoin and a new Digital Asset Network on Solana, which aims to link blockchain payments to Western Union’s network of 360,000+ payout locations — this could broaden access to crypto-denominated remittances and attract fintech partners. Western Union, Crossmint partner for rollout of USDPT stablecoin
• Positive Sentiment: Crossmint will integrate wallet and payment APIs with Western Union’s infrastructure so fintech platforms can settle on Solana and convert digital dollars into local currency at cash pickup points — this integration is aimed at faster, near-instant cross-border transfers and wider distribution. Crossmint Partners with Western Union to Support USDPT Stablecoin
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple crypto and finance outlets (Cointelegraph, Blockonomi, Bitcoin.com) reported the same USDPT/Crossmint news: broad media coverage can accelerate partner interest and investor confidence in Western Union’s digital strategy. Western Union teams with Crossmint to support USDPT
• Positive Sentiment: Operational/security improvement: Western Union reduced manual security workload by ~50% and achieved ~99% asset coverage with Axonius, which may lower operational risk and costs over time. Western Union drives 50% reduction in manual security workload
• Neutral Sentiment: Market note: commentary highlighted that WU outperformed the broader market intraday, reflecting investor interest, but this is descriptive rather than a fundamental driver. Western Union (WU) Advances While Market Declines
• Neutral Sentiment: Crypto market linkage: analysts and crypto media are debating whether the move will lift Solana (SOL) or materially drive demand — Solana price action is more of an indirect signal than a direct valuation change for Western Union. Solana Price Outlook: Can Western Union’s Stablecoin Push SOL Higher?
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and regulatory risks: adoption, fee economics and potential regulatory scrutiny of stablecoins remain key uncertainties that could limit near-term revenue upside and increase compliance costs (no single article quantifies these risks yet).

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.