Western Union (NYSE:WU) Price Target Cut to $12.00 by Analysts at Susquehanna

Western Union (NYSE:WU) had its target price trimmed by Susquehanna from $13.00 to $12.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the credit services provider’s stock.

WU has been the topic of a number of other research reports. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Western Union from $13.50 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. StockNews.com upgraded Western Union from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Western Union from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays cut their target price on Western Union from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Western Union from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $12.20.

Western Union Trading Up 6.0 %

WU opened at $11.01 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.96. Western Union has a 52 week low of $10.04 and a 52 week high of $14.19. The stock has a market cap of $3.72 billion, a PE ratio of 5.64, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.85. The business has a 50 day moving average of $10.61 and a 200-day moving average of $11.27.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.02). Western Union had a net margin of 16.07% and a return on equity of 120.39%. Equities research analysts predict that Western Union will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.54%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Western Union’s payout ratio is presently 48.21%.

Western Union declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Friday, December 13th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the credit services provider to repurchase up to 27.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Union

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,926,192 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $154,209,000 after buying an additional 52,081 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Western Union by 0.4% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,179,698 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $85,671,000 after acquiring an additional 25,458 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Western Union by 41.7% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,305,933 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $66,843,000 after purchasing an additional 1,857,012 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in shares of Western Union by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,880,800 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $22,438,000 after purchasing an additional 84,579 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Western Union by 20.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,698,559 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $20,264,000 after purchasing an additional 283,479 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.81% of the company’s stock.

About Western Union

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.