Western Union (NYSE:WU) Price Target Cut to $8.00 by Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald

Key Points

• Cantor Fitzgerald cut its price target on Western Union to $8.00 from $9.00 and kept an underweight rating, implying downside from the prior close.
• Other analysts have also turned cautious on the stock, with JPMorgan, Barclays, and Citigroup all assigning negative or neutral views; the current consensus is a “Reduce” rating with an average target price of $8.35.
• Western Union recently reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results, missing EPS and revenue estimates, while shares opened at $8.46 and remain below their 200-day moving average.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by investment analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald from $9.00 to $8.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "underweight" rating on the credit services provider's stock. Cantor Fitzgerald's price target suggests a potential downside of 5.49% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on WU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered Western Union from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Western Union in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. They set an "underweight" rating and a $7.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Western Union from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 17th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Western Union currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $8.35.

Western Union Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WU opened at $8.46 on Wednesday. Western Union has a 1-year low of $6.91 and a 1-year high of $10.35. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $7.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.46.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.15). Western Union had a return on equity of 55.94% and a net margin of 10.88%.The firm had revenue of $963.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Western Union will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Western Union

In other news, insider Benjamin Carlton Adams sold 19,924 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.23, for a total transaction of $183,898.52. Following the transaction, the insider 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Giovanni Angelini sold 6,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.47, for a total value of $56,820.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 311,292 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,947,935.24. The trade was 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. Corporate insiders own 3.29% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WU. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its stake in Western Union by 606.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,265 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 2,803 shares during the last quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new stake in Western Union in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its position in Western Union by 1,546.5% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 3,326 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 3,124 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in shares of Western Union by 67.0% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,331 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 1,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 179.6% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 3,341 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 2,146 shares during the period. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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