The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) Stock Has Average Target Price of $7.18 According to Brokerages

Shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) have earned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the fourteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $7.18.

A number of research firms have issued reports on WU. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $8.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price objective on shares of Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised shares of Western Union from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Western Union from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Wolfe Research reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $8.00 price objective on shares of Western Union in a research note on Friday, July 31st.

Western Union Trading Up 0.7%

Western Union stock opened at $6.25 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $6.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $7.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. Western Union has a one year low of $5.87 and a one year high of $10.35. The stock has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of 5.09 and a beta of 0.51.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. Western Union had a return on equity of 50.89% and a net margin of 9.79%. Western Union’s revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Western Union will post 1.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 16th were paid a $0.2350 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 15.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 16th. Western Union’s payout ratio is currently 76.42%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. 55 North Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Western Union in the 3rd quarter worth about $79,000. Net Worth Advisory Group boosted its position in Western Union by 59.6% during the third quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 21,996 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $132,000 after purchasing an additional 8,212 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its holdings in Western Union by 14.8% in the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 330,791 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,952,000 after purchasing an additional 42,726 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Western Union by 32.5% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 8,200 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 2,010 shares during the period. Finally, Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Western Union in the third quarter valued at approximately $81,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.81% of the company’s stock.

About Western Union

Western Union is a global provider of money movement and payment services. Through its branded digital platforms and retail agent network, the company enables consumers to send and receive money, transfer funds between bank accounts and digital wallets, pay bills, and purchase money orders in select markets.

The company serves customers across more than 200 countries and territories, with services available through physical locations as well as its website and mobile application. Its operations connect individuals and businesses across international borders, supporting both cash-based transactions and account-to-account transfers.

Western Union traces its origins to 1851, when it was established as a telegraph company before expanding into money transfer and payment services.