Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Has $10.74 Million Stock Holdings in The Western Union Company $WU

Key Points

• Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. has reduced its holdings in The Western Union Company by 7.3%, now owning 1,275,000 shares valued at approximately $10.74 million.
• Western Union reported $0.42 earnings per share for the last quarter, missing expectations, with a revenue of $1.03 billion, down 3.8% from the previous year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.235, resulting in an annual yield of 11.6%, with 91.81% of the stock owned by institutional investors.

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. trimmed its position in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) by 7.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,275,000 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 100,000 shares during the quarter. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. owned 0.39% of Western Union worth $10,736,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MCF Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Western Union by 464.3% in the 1st quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 3,397 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 2,795 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 2,483 shares in the last quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Western Union by 2,225.8% during the 2nd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 5,675 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 5,431 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 1st quarter worth $96,000. Finally, CHICAGO TRUST Co NA acquired a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 2nd quarter worth $84,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Western Union Stock Performance

NYSE:WU opened at $8.11 on Tuesday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $8.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $8.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.62 billion, a PE ratio of 3.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.61. 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 twelve month low of $7.85 and a twelve month high of $11.94.

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

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 16th were given a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 16th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 11.6%. Western Union's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on WU shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on Western Union from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Western Union from $9.00 to $7.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on Western Union from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Western Union from $10.50 to $8.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Western Union from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $8.50.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Matthew Cagwin bought 17,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 18th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $8.36 per share, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 8.41% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Devin Mcgranahan bought 176,470 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $8.49 per share, with a total value of $1,498,230.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 913,125 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,752,431.25. The trade was a 23.96% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

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