Western Union (NYSE:WU) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

Western Union (NYSE:WU) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on WU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Monness Crespi & Hardt reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $6.00 target price on shares of Western Union in a report on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup cut their price target on Western Union from $8.50 to $7.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $8.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a report on Friday, July 31st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and seven have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Western Union presently has an average rating of “Strong Sell” and a consensus price target of $7.55.

Western Union Stock Performance

Shares of Western Union stock opened at $7.23 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $7.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $8.69. Western Union has a 12 month low of $6.27 and a 12 month high of $10.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.88, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.11). Western Union had a return on equity of 50.89% and a net margin of 9.79%.The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.37 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Western Union will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its holdings in shares of Western Union by 606.7% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,265 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 2,803 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its holdings in shares of Western Union by 1,546.5% during the 4th 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 increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 1,336 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 2,146 shares during the period. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Western Union in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.