Hsbc Holdings PLC Increases Stock Position in The Western Union Company $WU

Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) by 221.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 520,789 shares of the credit services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 358,877 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.17% of Western Union worth $4,851,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WU. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 11,759.8% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,954,045 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $74,052,000 after purchasing an additional 7,886,978 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in Western Union by 401.4% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,604,026 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $70,793,000 after purchasing an additional 6,087,613 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 28.0% during the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 16,948,328 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $135,417,000 after buying an additional 3,708,291 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of Western Union by 3,370.2% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total transaction of $183,898.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 234,689 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,166,179.47. The trade was a 7.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.47, for a total transaction of $56,820.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 311,292 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,947,935.24. This trade represents a 1.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 3.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Western Union Price Performance

Shares of WU opened at $7.53 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.54, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.46. The Western Union Company has a fifty-two week low of $6.91 and a fifty-two week high of $10.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $8.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.99.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.15). Western Union had a net margin of 10.88% and a return on equity of 55.94%. The business had revenue of $963.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.41 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that The Western Union Company will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Western Union's payout ratio is presently 69.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings lowered Western Union from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $8.82.

About Western Union

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.

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