Western Union (NYSE:WU) Stock Gets Price Target Increase from UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS raised Western Union’s price target from $6.25 to $6.50 but maintained a neutral rating; the new target implies 6.66% downside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: MarketBeat reports seven Hold and seven Sell ratings, with a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $6.95.
• Western Union beat quarterly EPS estimates with $0.42 per share, but revenue of $1.01 billion fell short of consensus and declined 2.3% year over year.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at UBS Group from $6.25 to $6.50 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the credit services provider's stock. UBS Group's target price points to a potential downside of 6.66% from the company's previous close.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on WU. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their target price on shares of Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Wolfe Research reiterated an "underperform" rating and issued a $8.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $8.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. New Street Research reissued a "reduce" rating on shares of Western Union in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and seven have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $6.95.

Western Union Stock Performance

WU stock traded up $0.37 during trading on Thursday, reaching $6.96. The stock had a trading volume of 24,869,067 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,030,139. The firm has a market cap of $2.17 billion, a PE ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95. The stock's 50 day moving average is $6.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.02. Western Union has a 52 week low of $5.87 and a 52 week high of $10.35.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The credit services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.08. 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.47 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Western Union will post 1.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Union

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WU. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its position in Western Union by 40.2% during the third quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 85,890 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $507,000 after purchasing an additional 24,623 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Western Union by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 64,264 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $379,000 after acquiring an additional 10,003 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC increased its stake in Western Union by 203.0% in the 3rd quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 159,171 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $939,000 after buying an additional 106,643 shares during the period. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP increased its position in shares of Western Union by 14,058.5% during the third quarter. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP now owns 179,247 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,070,000 after acquiring an additional 177,981 shares during the period. Finally, StoneX Group Inc. purchased a new position in Western Union during the 3rd quarter worth $122,000. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Western Union News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Western Union reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.42, above analyst estimates of roughly $0.34–$0.35. It also forecast 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.28–$1.38, versus a FactSet estimate of $1.27, and is targeting more than $80 million in annualized cost savings. Western Union earnings outlook and cost savings
• Positive Sentiment: Management is investing in digital services, AI and stablecoin payments, including a stablecoin-linked card, as it seeks new growth avenues. Digital momentum may help offset weakness in traditional retail channels over time. Western Union’s stablecoin and digital strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Call-option trading was unusually active, with 21,502 calls purchased—about 238% above typical volume. This signals increased speculative interest but does not establish the direction of future business performance.
• Neutral Sentiment: Western Union said either party may terminate its Intermex deal on Nov. 10, adding uncertainty around the transaction’s status. Intermex deal termination update
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue was about $1.01 billion, below the roughly $1.02 billion consensus, and fell 2.3% year over year. EPS also declined from $0.47 a year earlier, while reports point to continued retail-channel weakness. Western Union Q3 earnings analysis
• Negative Sentiment: A separate report flags Western Union’s high dividend yield as a possible warning sign and raises the risk of a dividend cut, which could weigh on income-focused investors. Dividend risk discussion

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.

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