Western Union (NYSE:WU) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Western Union guided FY 2026 EPS to $1.25–$1.35, well below the $1.75 consensus estimate. Revenue guidance of $4.2–$4.3 billion was broadly in line with the $4.3 billion consensus.
• Analyst sentiment remains negative: Western Union has a consensus “Reduce” rating, with five Hold and four Sell ratings and an average price target of $8.64.
• Shares fell to $7.70, while the company maintains an annualized dividend of $0.94 per share, representing a high 12.2% yield. Institutional investors own 91.81% of the stock.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 1.250-1.350 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.750. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.2 billion-$4.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.3 billion.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on WU. Weiss Ratings cut Western Union from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Barclays began coverage on shares of Western Union in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. They set an "underweight" rating and a $7.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Western Union from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $8.64.

Western Union Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WU traded down $0.39 on Thursday, reaching $7.70. 20,824,377 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,688,770. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.41 billion, a PE ratio of 5.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company's 50 day moving average is $7.85 and its 200-day moving average is $8.77. Western Union has a fifty-two week low of $6.91 and a fifty-two week high of $10.35.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were paid a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.2%. Western Union's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.12%.

Insider Transactions at Western Union

In other Western Union news, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total transaction of $183,898.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 234,689 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,166,179.47. This represents a 7.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.29% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Union

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp grew its position in Western Union by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,984,472 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $130,195,000 after purchasing an additional 580,264 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,081,062 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $121,785,000 after buying an additional 624,397 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 10,746,779 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $99,891,000 after buying an additional 962,341 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of Western Union by 44.6% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 8,648,431 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $80,517,000 after buying an additional 2,666,265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in Western Union by 401.4% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,604,026 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $70,793,000 after acquiring an additional 6,087,613 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.81% of the company's stock.

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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