Western Union (NYSE:WU) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Western Union (NYSE:WU) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.250-1.350 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.750. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.2 billion-$4.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.3 billion.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WU has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Monness Crespi & Hardt reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Western Union in a research report on Friday. Citigroup dropped their target price on Western Union from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $8.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and seven have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Strong Sell” and an average price target of $7.77.

Western Union Stock Performance

NYSE WU traded down $1.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $6.32. The company had a trading volume of 47,993,375 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,936,839. The business has a 50 day moving average of $7.84 and a 200-day moving average of $8.76. The company has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of 4.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.46. Western Union has a 1-year low of $6.31 and a 1-year high of $10.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.43 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. Western Union had a net margin of 10.88% and a return on equity of 55.94%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.37 earnings per share. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Western Union will post 1.74 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were given a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 14.9%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is 69.12%.

More Western Union News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Western Union is targeting approximately $50 million in annualized cost reductions by year-end, including savings from artificial intelligence and digital initiatives. Consumer Services revenue increased 4%, while Branded Digital revenue rose 7% and transactions grew 25%. Western Union cost reduction and guidance article
• Positive Sentiment: Investors purchased 37,963 call options, roughly 764% above average volume, indicating unusually strong speculative interest in a potential rebound. Options activity is not necessarily a fundamental signal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna lowered its price target from $10 to $8 and maintained a neutral rating. The revised target still implies substantial upside from recent trading levels, but the cut signals reduced near-term confidence.
• Neutral Sentiment: Western Union remains engaged with regulators regarding its planned Intermex acquisition. The transaction could provide strategic benefits, but its delay postpones expected synergies.
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted EPS was $0.31, below the $0.43 analyst consensus, while revenue of approximately $1.01 billion also missed estimates near $1.02 billion. Revenue declined about 1% year over year and net income fell 37%; operating margin narrowed to 13% from 19%. Western Union second-quarter results
• Negative Sentiment: Management now expects fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.25-$1.35, well below the roughly $1.75 consensus estimate, with revenue guidance of $4.2-$4.3 billion. The weaker outlook reflects continued softness in the Americas retail business and lower migration-related money-transfer activity.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts’ price-target reductions following the earnings report added further pressure, reinforcing concerns about slower growth and execution risks.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in Western Union by 401.4% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,604,026 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $70,793,000 after acquiring an additional 6,087,613 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 821.1% during the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 4,170,343 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $35,114,000 after purchasing an additional 3,717,589 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in Western Union by 3,370.2% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,740,849 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $34,827,000 after buying an additional 3,633,049 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Western Union by 128.4% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 4,900,542 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $39,155,000 after buying an additional 2,754,827 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its position in Western Union by 44.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 8,648,431 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $80,517,000 after buying an additional 2,666,265 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.81% of the company’s stock.

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.