Allianz Asset Management GmbH Buys 544,232 Shares of The Western Union Company $WU

Key Points

• Allianz Asset Management GmbH has increased its stake in The Western Union Company by 14.9%, acquiring an additional 544,232 shares, bringing its total ownership to 4,189,459 shares worth approximately $35.3 million.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $0.42, which was below the consensus estimate of $0.44, alongside a 3.8% year-over-year decline in revenue.
• Western Union recently announced a dividend of $0.235 per share, featuring an annualized yield of 11.3% and a payout ratio of 35.61%.

Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) by 14.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,189,459 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 544,232 shares during the quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH owned 1.27% of Western Union worth $35,275,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of WU. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Western Union by 188.1% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,803 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 2,483 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Western Union by 47.2% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 122,813 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 39,382 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its position in Western Union by 16.2% in the 1st quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 71,586 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $757,000 after acquiring an additional 9,980 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in Western Union by 35.2% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 229,360 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $2,427,000 after acquiring an additional 59,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in Western Union by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 239,236 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $2,530,000 after acquiring an additional 1,085 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.81% of the company's stock.

Western Union Trading Up 2.5%

Western Union stock opened at $8.29 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.11. The Western Union Company has a 52 week low of $7.85 and a 52 week high of $12.02. The company has a market capitalization of $2.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.61. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $8.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.84.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 28th. The credit services provider reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.44 by ($0.02). Western Union had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 66.11%. The business had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.44 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Western Union has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Western Union Company will post 1.79 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 16th were paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 11.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 16th. Western Union's payout ratio is presently 35.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on WU. Susquehanna cut their price objective on Western Union from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Zacks Research raised Western Union from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Western Union in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $9.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $10.00 price target on Western Union in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on Western Union from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $8.50.

Insider Activity at Western Union

In related news, CEO Devin Mcgranahan purchased 176,470 shares of Western Union stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $8.49 per share, for a total transaction of $1,498,230.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 913,125 shares in the company, valued at $7,752,431.25. The trade was a 23.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Matthew Cagwin purchased 17,500 shares of Western Union stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 18th. The shares were bought at an average price of $8.36 per share, with a total value of $146,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 225,611 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,886,107.96. This represents a 8.41% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 1.58% of the company's stock.

Western Union Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.