The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) has received an average rating of “Reduce” from the ten research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and seven have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $13.14.

WU has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $13.00 price objective on shares of Western Union in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Western Union from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Western Union from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Western Union from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 20th.

Western Union Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WU opened at $12.07 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.98. The company has a market capitalization of $4.08 billion, a PE ratio of 7.14, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.85. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $12.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.80. Western Union has a twelve month low of $10.92 and a twelve month high of $14.19.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.01). Western Union had a return on equity of 123.71% and a net margin of 13.64%. The business had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.51 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Western Union will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. Western Union’s payout ratio is currently 55.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Union

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. MCF Advisors LLC bought a new position in Western Union in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in Western Union in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in Western Union by 52.9% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,588 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in Western Union in the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in Western Union in the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company provides money movement and payment services worldwide. The company operates through Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services segments. The Consumer Money Transfer segment facilitates money transfers for international cross-border and intra-country transfers, primarily through a network of retail agent locations, as well as through websites and mobile devices.