CWA Asset Management Group LLC Has $1.25 Million Stock Position in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU)

CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) by 34.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 118,063 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 30,134 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC's holdings in Western Union were worth $1,249,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Western Union by 72.1% in the 1st quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 95,460 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $1,007,000 after buying an additional 39,982 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in Western Union by 35.2% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 229,360 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $2,427,000 after purchasing an additional 59,777 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its stake in Western Union by 16.2% in the first quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 71,586 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $757,000 after buying an additional 9,980 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Western Union by 47.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 122,813 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 39,382 shares during the period. Finally, SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Western Union by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 62,824 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $665,000 after purchasing an additional 1,393 shares in the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Western Union Stock Performance

WU opened at $8.46 on Friday. The Western Union Company has a 12-month low of $8.40 and a 12-month high of $13.12. The business has a 50 day moving average of $9.56 and a 200-day moving average of $10.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.97. The stock has a market cap of $2.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.15, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.68.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.01. Western Union had a net margin of 22.08% and a return on equity of 77.19%. The business had revenue of $983.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.45 EPS. Western Union's revenue was down 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Western Union Company will post 1.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 16th will be paid a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 11.12%. Western Union's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.07%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Monness Crespi & Hardt cut Western Union from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $7.50 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Susquehanna cut their price target on shares of Western Union from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Western Union from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Western Union from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Western Union in a report on Monday, June 2nd. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $10.78.

Western Union 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report).

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.