Susquehanna Cuts Western Union (NYSE:WU) Price Target to $12.00

Western Union (NYSE:WU) had its price objective reduced by analysts at Susquehanna from $13.00 to $12.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the credit services provider’s stock. Susquehanna’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 12.62% from the stock’s previous close.

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

Western Union Trading Up 2.6 %

NYSE:WU traded up $0.28 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $10.66. The company had a trading volume of 6,044,130 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,950,671. Western Union has a fifty-two week low of $10.04 and a fifty-two week high of $14.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.96, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market cap of $3.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.85. The business’s fifty day moving average is $10.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.27.

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

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

Institutional Trading of Western Union

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WU. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in Western Union in the third quarter worth $25,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Western Union in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky purchased a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Western Union by 89.3% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 3,226 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,522 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in shares of Western Union by 1,734.7% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,862 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 4,597 shares in the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.