The Western Union Company $WU Holdings Raised by Wellington Management Group LLP

Key Points

• Wellington Management more than doubled its Western Union stake in the second quarter, increasing holdings by 124.3% to 544,995 shares valued at approximately $4.2 million. Other institutional investors also made significant purchases, with institutions collectively owning 91.81% of the company.
• Western Union reported disappointing quarterly results, with EPS of $0.31 versus the $0.42 consensus estimate and revenue down 1.3% year over year to $1.01 billion. The stock opened at $6.93, near its 52-week low, while analysts maintain a “Strong Sell” consensus and an average $7.55 price target.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.235 per share, equivalent to $0.94 annually and a 13.6% yield. The dividend payout ratio is 76.42%.

Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) by 124.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 544,995 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 301,984 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP owned about 0.17% of Western Union worth $4,196,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 2nd quarter worth about $241,806,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 valued at $70,793,000 after acquiring an additional 6,087,613 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its holdings 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. Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Western Union by 3,370.2% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,740,849 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $34,827,000 after purchasing an additional 3,633,049 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Algebris UK Ltd. acquired a new stake in Western Union in the second quarter worth approximately $21,224,000. Institutional investors own 91.81% of the company's stock.

Western Union Stock Performance

WU opened at $6.93 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95. The firm has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a PE ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $8.27. The Western Union Company has a fifty-two week low of $6.27 and a fifty-two week high of $10.35.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.11). Western Union had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 50.89%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Western Union Company will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 13.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. Western Union's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research reiterated an "underperform" rating and set a $8.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a research report on Friday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 13th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on Western Union from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. New Street Research reaffirmed a "reduce" rating on shares of Western Union in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Western Union from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and eight have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Western Union currently has an average rating of "Strong Sell" and an average price target of $7.55.

Western Union Company Profile

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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