The Western Union Company $WU Stake Decreased by 1834 Investment Advisors Co.

Key Points

• 1834 Investment Advisors cut its Western Union stake by 69.3% in the third quarter, selling 346,403 shares and retaining 153,562 shares valued at approximately $906,000. Institutional investors collectively own 91.81% of WU stock.
• Western Union shares opened at $6.18, near their 52-week low, while the company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations: EPS was $0.31 versus the $0.42 consensus, and revenue declined 1.3% year over year.
• The company maintains a substantial dividend of $0.235 per quarter, equivalent to a 15.2% annualized yield. Analysts remain cautious, with an average “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $7.18.

1834 Investment Advisors Co. trimmed its position in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) by 69.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 153,562 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 346,403 shares during the quarter. 1834 Investment Advisors Co.'s holdings in Western Union were worth $906,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WU. Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its stake in Western Union by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 84,920 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 10,206 shares in the last quarter. TPG Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Western Union during the third quarter valued at $79,000. TSP Capital Management Group LLC boosted its stake in Western Union by 3.2% during the third quarter. TSP Capital Management Group LLC now owns 1,161,168 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $6,851,000 after buying an additional 36,009 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital purchased a new position in Western Union during the third quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC purchased a new position in Western Union during the third quarter worth about $59,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Western Union Trading Down 0.7%

WU stock opened at $6.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a PE ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. The Western Union Company has a one year low of $5.87 and a one year high of $10.35. The company's 50 day moving average price is $6.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.68.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.02 billion. Western Union had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 50.89%. Western Union's revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.37 EPS. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that The Western Union Company will post 1.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 16th were given a dividend of $0.2350 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 15.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 16th. Western Union's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on WU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Western Union from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Wolfe Research restated an "underperform" rating and issued a $8.00 price objective on shares of Western Union in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Susquehanna reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $7.00 target price on shares of Western Union in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and seven have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $7.18.

Western Union Company Profile

Western Union Company NYSE: WU is a global provider of money movement and payment services. The company enables consumers and businesses to send and receive money through digital platforms, retail locations and account-based services. Its offerings include domestic and international money transfers, bill payments, money orders and related payment solutions.

Western Union serves customers across a broad international network spanning more than 200 countries and territories. Consumers can access its services through the Western Union website and mobile application, as well as through a network of agent locations and other retail partners.

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