The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) Position Lessened by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lowered its position in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 77,617 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 1,442 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Western Union were worth $823,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WU. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in shares of Western Union during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Western Union during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky bought a new position in Western Union during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted 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 worth $52,000 after buying an additional 4,597 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Western Union during the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Western Union Stock Performance

NYSE:WU opened at $10.66 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $10.60 and its 200-day moving average is $11.03. The company has a market cap of $3.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.90, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.20. The Western Union Company has a 52-week low of $10.04 and a 52-week high of $14.00.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.02). Western Union had a return on equity of 96.90% and a net margin of 22.19%. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Western Union Company will post 1.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Western Union announced that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Friday, December 13th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the credit services provider to buy up to 27.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.82%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Western Union from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of 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. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on shares of Western Union from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of 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, JMP Securities reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Western Union in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Western Union currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.11.

Western Union Company Profile

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.