Western Union (WU - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $6.34, moving -1.4% from the previous trading session. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.52%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 1.24%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.21%.
The money transfer company's stock has climbed by 6.63% in the past month, exceeding the Business Services sector's gain of 3.51% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on November 4, 2026. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.35, marking a 25.53% fall compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $1.02 billion, indicating a 0.83% decline compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.28 per share and a revenue of $4.08 billion, representing changes of -26.86% and +0.63%, respectively, from the prior year.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Western Union. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.87% lower. Right now, Western Union possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Western Union is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 5.03. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 15.13.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 104, positioning it in the top 43% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.
Western Union (WU - Free Report) closed at $6.43 in the latest trading session, marking a +2.88% move from the prior day. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 1.21% loss on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.02%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 2.6%.
Heading into today, shares of the money transfer company had gained 2.63% over the past month, outpacing the Business Services sector's gain of 1.35% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.03%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to go public on November 4, 2026. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $0.35, reflecting a 25.53% decrease from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $1.02 billion, down 0.83% from the year-ago period.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.28 per share and a revenue of $4.08 billion, representing changes of -26.86% and +0.63%, respectively, from the prior year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union should also be noted by investors. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.87% lower. As of now, Western Union holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In the context of valuation, Western Union is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 4.89. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 14.85, which means Western Union is trading at a discount to the group.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 155, finds itself in the bottom 37% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
To follow WU in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.
Five stocks are flashing dividend yields that would make any income investor stop scrolling, but a closer look at their cash flow, debt loads, and earnings coverage reveals warning signs hiding in plain sight.
Western Union (NYSE:WU | WU Price Prediction) pays $0.94 per share per year. At a share price of $6.30, that’s a yield of about 14.9%. Yields like that pull in income investors, but a high yield is only worth something if the company can keep the payout. All five names below show at least one warning sign that retirement savers should look at before the yield itself.
Quick test: a dividend may be at risk if the right earnings measure fails to cover it, free cash flow falls short of it, or debt ends up funding it.
Medical Properties Trust (MPT): A 13.7% Yield Resting on 9.25% Debt Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT), the hospital landlord, pays $0.36 a year. At $2.63 a share, the yield is about 13.7%. The yield is high mostly because the stock fell: shares are down 44.73% over the past year and 27.95% in the past month alone.
For a REIT, funds from operations (FFO) is the coverage figure that matters most. Normalized FFO came in at $0.15 per share in Q2 against a $0.09 quarterly dividend, a payout of about 60%. The balance sheet is the weak spot. Adjusted net debt runs at 8.9x EBITDAre, interest coverage is just 1.9x, and a new $2.4 billion secured refinancing carries a 9.25% rate. The dividend has already been cut from $0.29 in 2022 to $0.08 before a small raise.
The bull case: billed rent rose to $203.4 million from $177.9 million. A planned $172 million asset sale is reserved for paying down debt.
Western Union (WU): A Frozen Payout and a Shrinking Business Western Union has paid $0.235 per share per quarter since 2021. The double-digit yield comes from the stock’s slide: shares are down 25.79% this year and 50.69% over five years.
The payout is about 76% of trailing EPS of $1.23, but cash flow tells a weaker story. Year-to-date operating cash flow of $214 million minus $88 million in capex leaves about $126 million of free cash flow. Two quarterly dividends at the current share count cost roughly $147 million. Adjusted EPS fell to $0.31 from $0.42 a year earlier, and the company paused buybacks to protect leverage. Management also expects debt-to-EBITDA to sit “elevated above historical levels” after the Intermex deal closes.
Management said the board believes the company has “sufficient financial capacity to continue and maintain that dividend.” When a company holds its payout through this much stress, that is a warning sign. The payout’s chances depend on the targeted $200 million run-rate in cost savings by the end of 2027.
Sirius XM (SIRI): Heavy Debt Behind a Steady Check Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) pays $1.08 a year, a yield of about 4.1%. Shares rose 25.05% over the past year but remain 47.08% lower than five years ago.
The dividend takes about 43% of trailing EPS, which looks comfortable. The bigger risk is the business below. Long-term debt stands at $9.453 billion. Pandora’s monthly active users fell 7%, and EPS missed estimates in three of the last five quarters, including $0.70 against a $0.7844 estimate in Q2.
The bull case is simple. Q2 brought the first positive self-pay net adds in four years, at 22,000, and full-year free cash flow guidance is about $1.375 billion.
Franklin Templeton (BEN): A Payout Eating Most of Earnings Franklin Templeton (NYSE:BEN) raised its quarterly payout to $0.33, which yields about 4.1%. The stock gained 49.88% over the past year, so the price decline hasn’t inflated this yield.
Coverage is the issue. The $1.32 annual dividend uses up about 90% of trailing GAAP EPS of $1.47. In the latest quarter, the company recorded a $100 million regulatory settlement and $77.2 million in workforce charges, and Western Asset lost $1.1 billion in net outflows. Even so, Franklin returned $521.5 million to shareholders in the quarter.
The bull case: long-term net inflows reached $18.4 billion, and the adjusted operating margin expanded to 28.0%.
CVS Health (CVS): GAAP Coverage Gaps Hidden by Adjusted Numbers CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) has paid $0.665 a quarter since 2024 without a raise, which yields about 2.9%. It has the lowest yield on this list, but its GAAP numbers still deserve a look.
In 2025, net income of $1.728 billion was not enough to cover $3.397 billion in dividends paid. In the September 2025 quarter, operating cash flow of $796 million did not cover $846 million in dividends. Leverage is about 3.5x, and management is warning of 340B and Caremark membership pressures in 2027.
The bull case is strong. The dividend comes to about 33% of the midpoint of adjusted EPS guidance, and 2025 free cash flow of about $7.8 billion covered the payout well.
Check Coverage Before You Chase Yield When a company cuts its dividend, the share price tends to drop alongside it so that income investors can lose on both the payout and the price. As Jim Cramer put it, “often super high yields are a signal that the payout simply can’t be maintained.” Before buying any of these names, check their coverage, free cash flow, and debt. A high yield alone should not be enough to justify a purchase.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Ushers in new era for international paymentsEnables seamless movement of money across 200 countries & territoriesCuts delays and slashes costs of international remittances
DENVER and LONDON, Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noah, the stablecoin payments infrastructure provider, has been selected by The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), the world's largest international money transfer and retail remittance network, to power a global platform for the transfer of funds between fiat currencies via rapid and low-cost stablecoin infrastructure.
The Noah stablecoin infrastructure will provide the underlying on-chain banking network for Western Union’s Receiver Redirect service. The service will enable stablecoin transfers in over 60 currencies across more than 200 countries and territories. The global stablecoin service will support Western Union’s 150-plus million customers by cutting the time and cost of making international money transfers.
The new stablecoin payments service is based on Western Union’s USDPT™, a US dollar stablecoin that is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank on Solana, and uses Noah’s infrastructure to enable seamless cash transfers. The Receiver Redirect stablecoin service will enable consumers to use Western Union’s half a million-plus agent locations worldwide to send funds as USDPT™ to almost anywhere on the globe with recipients collecting the stablecoins into a Western Union wallet. Users will be able to hold USDPT™ stablecoin assets indefinitely using Western Union’s Stablecard that was announced in August 2026.
“The international movement of money through traditional banks is slow, expensive and no longer fit for purpose. Stablecoin opens up a new, faster and cheaper way to move funds globally. Western Union is not just one of the world’s leading money transfer companies, but a visionary in its early adoption of stablecoin. This is a watershed moment for the future of stablecoin and sends a real signal the market has shifted. We're proud to provide the banking infrastructure behind Receiver Redirect, and to power the next era of international remittances for Western Union,” said Shah Ramezani, Founder and CEO, Noah.
Noah’s stablecoin banking infrastructure will provide Western Union with the treasury and licensing required to pre-fund, convert, and disperse USDPTTM to recipients. It will also ensure local regulatory compliance through adherence to stablecoin rails for all transfers.
“Customers increasingly want greater flexibility in how they receive, hold and use money,” said Malcolm Clarke, Global Head Digital Assets, Western Union. “This new capability is a global first, taking a Western Union money transfer and delivering it directly into the customers' stablecard wallet in USDPTTM stablecoin, creating a seamless connection between our global money movement network and our digital asset ecosystem.”
Western Union (WU - Free Report) closed at $6.23 in the latest trading session, marking a +2.98% move from the prior day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.33%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 1.08%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.08%.
The stock of money transfer company has fallen by 7.49% in the past month, lagging the Business Services sector's loss of 1.1% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.41%.
The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Western Union in its upcoming release. The company is slated to reveal its earnings on November 4, 2026. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $0.35, signifying a 25.53% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $1.03 billion, up 0.19% from the prior-year quarter.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $1.28 per share and a revenue of $4.11 billion, indicating changes of -26.86% and +1.37%, respectively, from the former year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Western Union. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.
Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.48% downward. Currently, Western Union is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Western Union is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 4.71. This indicates a discount in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 14.32.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 178, which puts it in the bottom 28% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) announced today that Chief Executive Officer, Devin McGranahan, and Chief Financial Officer, Matt Cagwin, will host a webca
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) announced today that Chief Executive Officer, Devin McGranahan, and Chief Financial Officer, Matt Cagwin, will host a webcast and conference call to discuss third quarter 2026 results on November 4, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. ET. A press release highlighting the financial results will be issued before the call. The webcast and presentation will be available at https://ir.westernunion.com. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly aft.
A 14.9% yield sounds like a windfall until you see what is propping it up. Six dividend stocks are flashing the same warning signs, and the companies shedding their best businesses may be the most dangerous of all.
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Western Union (NYSE:WU | WU Price Prediction) shares have fallen 53.47% over five years, and that slide has pushed the stock’s yield to roughly 14.9%. A yield that big tells you more about the stock’s decline than about the payout. Several companies below have spun off, sold or are moving to shed businesses while maintaining their dividends. When the unit that leaves was a strong earner, the business left behind has to fund the same check with less earning power. On the cash flow statement the deal can look fine, while the damage stays out of sight.
Quick test: a dividend is unsustainable when earnings don’t cover it, free cash flow falls short of it, or new debt is effectively funding it. None of these five is a REIT, MLP or BDC, so EPS payout and free cash flow are the right metrics. (We rounded up seven warning signs that a big yield is about to be cut in a free dividend trap guide here.)
FedEx (FDX): Spun Off Its Highest-Margin Segment, Kept the Streak Alive FedEx (NYSE:FDX) yields about 1.67%, and income investors value it for the run. Management called its latest raise the sixth consecutive annual dividend increase, up 5% after adjusting for the FedEx Freight spinoff.
FedEx completed the spin-off of FedEx Freight, historically its highest-margin segment. The core Federal Express unit posted a full-year adjusted operating margin of just 7.7%, and the per-share payout reset from $1.45 to $1.22. FedEx also kept about $350 million in stranded costs and has to monetize its retained Freight stake within 24 months. In fiscal Q4, operating income fell 21.94% even though revenue rose 12.54%.
Freight’s adjusted operating margin fell 570 basis points in its final quarter under FedEx, and coverage is sufficient. The $4.88 annualized dividend is about 28% of the midpoint of calendar 2026 EPS guidance. The remaining risk is execution: those stranded costs have to be gone by the CY27 exit rate.
General Mills (GIS): Yogurt Is Gone and Free Cash Flow Trails the Dividend General Mills (NYSE:GIS) yields roughly 7.5%, but that figure grew mostly because the stock fell 30.81% over one year. The quarterly payout has stayed flat at $0.61.
The company sold its U.S. yogurt business for a $1.05B pre-tax gain. Its disclosures don’t break out yogurt’s margins against the retained portfolio, and the numbers show a shrinking business left behind. Fiscal Q1 2027 net sales fell 2.83%, and adjusted gross margin slid to 33.3%. Operating cash flow of $297.8M minus capex leaves about $207.3M, well short of the $330.5M paid in dividends. The payout matches 76% to 81% of guided adjusted EPS, while adjusted operating profit is guided down 13% to 8%. Leverage stands just above four times, and the CFO expects it to take “at least a couple years” to get back to the three-times target.
General Mills needs its $750M+ in cost savings and free cash flow conversion near 95% to maintain the payout.
Verizon (VZ): An Ironclad Promise on a Heavier Balance Sheet Verizon (NYSE:VZ) yields about 6.5% on a $0.7075 quarterly dividend, and management calls the payout “still ironclad”.
The warning sign is debt. Unsecured debt totals $136.5B, and net unsecured leverage rose to 2.5x from 2.2x after the Frontier deal. Management also wants to “dramatically reduce our exposure to non-core assets,” which shrinks the asset base. GAAP net income fell 21.07%, and the shares dropped 13.67% over one month.
Coverage still looks healthy. Free cash flow is forecast at $21.94–$22.14B, and the dividend matches roughly 57% of the bottom of EPS guidance. Verizon now has to bring leverage down to 2.0 to 2.25 times by 2027.
Western Union (WU): Buybacks Paused to Shield a 14.9% Yield Western Union has paid $0.235 every quarter since 2021, while the stock fell to $6.31.
Fundamentals are slid. Q2 adjusted EPS of $0.31 missed expectations of $0.42, operating income fell 31.45%, and cash dropped 34.32%. Debt stands at $2.7 billion, and management paused buybacks “to maintain our debt to EBIT ratios”. The payout looks covered at 70% to 75% of guided EPS, but that guidance depends on closing Intermex, which management expects will push leverage above historical levels.
The CEO says the company has “sufficient financial capacity” to keep the dividend. That depends on reaching the $200 million savings target.
Spectrum Brands (SPB): What a Smarter Divestiture Looks Like Spectrum Brands (NYSE:SPB), yielding about 2.4%, is the contrast. With Oaktree, it is working toward separating its home and personal care (HPC) business, its weakest unit at a 5.4% adjusted EBITDA margin. Excluding tariff refunds, adjusted EPS of 89 cents covers the $0.47 dividend, and net leverage is about one times.
Before You Chase Any of These Yields When a company cuts its dividend, the stock usually drops too, so a high-yield buyer can lose income and principal at the same time. After a sale, look at what the company kept and whether it earns enough to cover the payout. A yield by itself never justifies buying a stock.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Key Takeaways WU renews a 20-plus-year Publix deal, keeping transfers, bill payments and money orders in stores.WU's North American money transfer revenue fell 9% and transactions slid 5% in Q2 2026.Publix's 1,432 stores and Kentucky expansion could help Western Union reach more customers. The Western Union Company (WU - Free Report) recently renewed its partnership with Publix Super Markets, extending a relationship spanning more than two decades. The agreement allows customers to continue accessing domestic and international money transfers, bill payments and money orders at participating Publix stores across the southeastern United States.
It also creates opportunities for Western Union to reach additional customers as Publix expands into new markets, including Kentucky. Publix currently operates 1,432 stores across eight states, employing more than 260,000 people. WU’s network spanning over 200 countries and territories and supporting 130 currencies underscores the scale of its cross-border operations and the role of retail partnerships in maintaining customer access.
Western Union's North American money transfer revenues declined 9% in second-quarter 2026, while transactions fell 5%. As such, the renewal will likely help Western Union protect its retail distribution network while reaching customers who prefer in-person financial services. Publix's growing presence offers opportunities to generate transactions without establishing standalone branches. Keeping services available across Publix stores could therefore help Western Union defend market share and improve customer retention.
Western Union also works with major retailers, including Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons, Walgreens, H-E-B and Giant Eagle. During its second-quarter earnings call, management said it had renewed major retail contracts despite increased competition, with terms broadly similar to previous agreements. These relationships help Western Union maintain its retail presence and protect existing revenue streams amid declining transaction volumes in the U.S. market.
It is also pursuing acquisitions to expand its reach. Its pending $500 million purchase of Intermex would strengthen its U.S. retail network and presence in Latin American remittance corridors, with management targeting $30 million in annual cost savings within two years of closing. However, the deal remains subject to California regulatory approval and a renewed federal antitrust waiting period.
Price PerformanceWestern Union shares have declined 34.3% in the year-to-date period compared with the 11.7% fall of the industry it belongs to.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Zacks Rank & Key PicksWestern Union currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader payments space are Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) , PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL - Free Report) and EVERTEC, Inc. (EVTC - Free Report) , each currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s current-year earnings indicates 17% year-over-year growth. MA has witnessed three upward estimate revisions over the past 60 days against no cuts. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues indicates 13.6% year-over-year growth.
The consensus estimate for PayPal’s current-year earnings indicates 1.3% year-over-year improvement. PYPL witnessed one upward estimate revision over the past 60 days and no downward movement. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues implies a 4.5% year-over-year rise.
The consensus mark for EVERTEC’s current-year earnings indicates 10.5% year-over-year jump. EVTC witnessed two upward estimate revisions over the past 60 days and no downward movement. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues implies a 17% year-over-year growth.
DENVER & LAKELAND, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Western Union (NYSE: WU) and Publix Super Markets today announced a renewed agreement that extends their long-standing relationship and ensures customers will continue to have access to Western Union money transfer, money order, and bill payment services at Publix locations across the Southeast. The renewal builds on a relationship that has spanned more than two decades, providing consumers with convenient access to essential financial services as part.
Western Union (WU - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $6.10, demonstrating a +1.67% change from the preceding day's closing price. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.66% gain on the day. At the same time, the Dow added 0.18%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 1.05%.
The money transfer company's shares have seen a decrease of 16.44% over the last month, not keeping up with the Business Services sector's loss of 4.68% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.55%.
The upcoming earnings release of Western Union will be of great interest to investors. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $0.35, signifying a 25.53% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $1.04 billion, indicating a 0.95% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $1.29 per share and revenue of $4.12 billion, indicating changes of -26.29% and +1.72%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union should also be noted by investors. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.28% decrease. Right now, Western Union possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In the context of valuation, Western Union is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 4.66. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 13.68 of its industry.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 105, finds itself in the top 43% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
To follow WU in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.
Western Union (WU - Free Report) closed at $6.02 in the latest trading session, marking a +2.03% move from the prior day. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.2%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.04%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.04%.
The stock of money transfer company has fallen by 19.18% in the past month, lagging the Business Services sector's loss of 6.44% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.35%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $0.35, showcasing a 25.53% downward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $1.05 billion, reflecting a 1.6% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.29 per share and revenue of $4.13 billion, which would represent changes of -26.29% and +2.04%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Western Union. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.28% decrease. Western Union presently features a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
In the context of valuation, Western Union is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 4.58. This denotes a discount relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 13.59.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 176, putting it in the bottom 29% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
Better Home & Finance (NASDAQ:BETR – Get Free Report) and Western Union (NYSE:WU – Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, earnings and profitability.
Valuation & Earnings This table compares Better Home & Finance and Western Union”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Better Home & Finance $164.87 million 1.18 -$165.87 million ($11.02) -0.93 Western Union $4.05 billion 0.46 $499.60 million $1.23 4.86 Western Union has higher revenue and earnings than Better Home & Finance. Better Home & Finance is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Western Union, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Better Home & Finance and Western Union’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Better Home & Finance -94.52% -409.62% -9.94% Western Union 9.79% 50.89% 5.87% Volatility and Risk Better Home & Finance has a beta of 1.68, meaning that its share price is 68% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Western Union has a beta of 0.5, meaning that its share price is 50% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent ratings for Better Home & Finance and Western Union, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Better Home & Finance 1 2 7 0 2.60 Western Union 8 6 0 0 1.43 Better Home & Finance presently has a consensus price target of $27.86, indicating a potential upside of 172.31%. Western Union has a consensus price target of $7.36, indicating a potential upside of 23.24%. Given Better Home & Finance’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Better Home & Finance is more favorable than Western Union.
Insider & Institutional Ownership 20.9% of Better Home & Finance shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.8% of Western Union shares are held by institutional investors. 27.7% of Better Home & Finance shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.3% of Western Union shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary Western Union beats Better Home & Finance on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
(Get Free Report)
Better Home & Finance Holding Co. engages in the provision of comprehensive homeownership services. It offers mortgage loans, real estate agent services, and title and homeowner’s insurance services. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in New York, NY.
About Western Union (Get Free Report)
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. The Consumer Services segments offers bill payment services, which facilitate payments for consumers, businesses, and other organizations, as well as money order services, retail foreign exchange services, prepaid cards, lending partnerships, and digital wallets. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
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Western Union (WU - Free Report) closed at $6.18 in the latest trading session, marking a +2.49% move from the prior day. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.51%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.93%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.48%.
Heading into today, shares of the money transfer company had lost 16.37% over the past month, lagging the Business Services sector's loss of 6.07% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.74%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Western Union in its upcoming release. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.35, marking a 25.53% fall compared to the same quarter of the previous year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $1.05 billion, reflecting a 1.6% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $1.29 per share and a revenue of $4.13 billion, indicating changes of -26.29% and +2.04%, respectively, from the former year.
It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained steady. At present, Western Union boasts a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
Looking at valuation, Western Union is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 4.67. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 12.54.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 183, positioning it in the bottom 26% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week low on Thursday. The stock traded as low as $6.09 and last traded at $6.0950, with a volume of 8122158 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $6.22. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities
Western Union (WU - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $6.09, demonstrating a -2.09% change from the preceding day's closing price. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.76%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.68%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 1.13%.
Shares of the money transfer company have depreciated by 15.26% over the course of the past month, underperforming the Business Services sector's loss of 4.94%, and the S&P 500's gain of 1.26%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $0.35, reflecting a 25.53% decrease from the same quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $1.05 billion, up 1.6% from the year-ago period.
Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $1.29 per share and revenue of $4.13 billion, indicating changes of -26.29% and +2.04%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed an unchanged state. Western Union presently features a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
Looking at its valuation, Western Union is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 4.82. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 12.64, which means Western Union is trading at a discount to the group.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 181, this industry ranks in the bottom 27% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
A fat dividend yield can signal a screaming buy or a slow-motion disaster, and the difference hides in coverage math most investors never check. Six well-known names are flashing the exact warning signs that tend to show up just before…
Income investors chasing a fat headline yield often step into the same trap: a payout the underlying business no longer generates enough cash to cover. A dividend is only as safe as the coverage math behind it, and the right coverage math depends on the structure. Earnings and free cash flow work for ordinary corporates. Equity REITs need FFO or AFFO. MLPs run on distributable cash flow. When any of those come up short, the yield is a warning.
None of the names below have announced a cut. Each shows specific strain worth watching, the same category of red flags we walked through in a free report on the seven signs a big yield is about to be cut.
Altria (MO) Altria (NYSE:MO | MO Price Prediction) just raised its quarterly payout to $1.11 from $1.06, pushing the annualized forward dividend to $4.44. On a market cap of roughly $114.9 billion and a share price of $68.50, the yield sits in ultra-high-yield territory.
The warning signs are structural. Altria carries negative stockholders’ equity of roughly ($3.2 billion), Marlboro retail share slipped 1.4 points to 39.7%, and the on! nicotine pouch category share dropped 4.2 points to 13.4%. Operating cash flow was negative $51 million in the quarter ending June 30, 2026 against a $1.535 billion dividend outflow. Annually the payout is still covered, but the volume trend behind it keeps eroding.
Pfizer (PFE) Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) yields 6.14% at a share price near the $26.69 50-day moving average. The quarterly dividend has been stuck at $0.43 since early 2025.
Coverage on earnings is the flag. Diluted EPS TTM is $0.77 against a dividend per share of $1.72, so ordinary earnings do not cover the payout. Cash flow is closer: $11.7 billion in operating cash flow for 2025 against $9.77 billion in dividends. Management has been unusually blunt in its defense. On the Q2 2026 call, the chairman and CEO said, “We feel extremely confident that we will, even the most stretched scenarios that we are running, we will be able to maintain our dividend.” A payout “held” through obvious stress is a signal worth watching closely.
Western Union (WU) Western Union (NYSE:WU) is the classic price-collapse yield. The stock traded at $8.10 at the Q2 filing, market cap has fallen to roughly $1.92 billion, and the quarterly dividend has been fixed at $0.235 since 2021, for an annualized forward of $0.94.
Q2 2026 adjusted EPS came in at $0.31, missing the $0.42 consensus, and adjusted operating margin compressed to 15% from 19%. The CEO conceded “meaningful margin pressure and lower-than-expected EPS”. Annual operating cash flow of $543.7 million in 2025 still covers $309 million in dividends, and management insists “the board’s committed to the dividend”. The buyback is paused. Watch whether Beyond Efficiency savings show up before the retail base erodes further.
Franklin Resources (BEN) Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN), soon Franklin Templeton, raised its quarterly payout to $0.33. AUM hit a record $1.79 trillion and long-term net inflows reached $18.4 billion in the June quarter, both bullish. So why flag it?
Quarterly operating cash flow has swung negative in multiple recent periods: negative $255.1 million in the quarter ending December 31, 2025, negative $35.9 million in the March 2026 quarter, and negative $20.7 million in the September 2025 quarter, each against a dividend payout above $170 million. A $100 million regulatory settlement charge and continued Western Asset Management outflows of $1.1 billion add noise. The CFO explicitly said the company is “always focused on making sure that we’re in a position where we can continue to increase our dividend”, but that promise is being funded partly through financing activity.
LyondellBasell (LYB) LyondellBasell (NYSE:LYB) is a cyclical commodity chemicals name with a market cap of roughly $19.5 billion. The quarterly dividend stands at $0.69, with an annualized forward of $2.76, well below the trailing 12-month total of $3.44. That gap tells you the cash-return run rate has already been stepped down.
Full-year 2025 net income was negative $738 million, and operating cash flow has slid from $4.94 billion in 2023 to $2.26 billion in 2025. The Q2 2026 EPS beat at $4.30 was tied to a Middle East supply shock management called “likely extending into 2027”. Recovery, per the CEO, “will be measured in quarters, not months.” Investment-grade defense is the priority; another payout adjustment is on the table if the cycle stalls.
BXP (BXP) BXP (NYSE:BXP), the premier office REIT, already reduced its quarterly common dividend from $0.98 to $0.70, and it has held there for four straight quarters, currently annualizing at $2.80. For a REIT the right coverage lens is FFO or AFFO, not EPS.
The cash-flow picture is stretched. FY2025 operating cash flow was $1.245 billion against $555 million in capex and $643 million in dividends. The Q1 2026 quarter delivered just $156 million of operating cash flow against $288 million of capex and $124 million of dividends. Total liabilities sit at $17.77 billion against $25.62 billion in assets. Structural office headwinds mean the FFO/AFFO cushion behind the reset payout has to be watched every quarter.
Bottom Line A dividend cut usually takes the share price with it, sometimes twice: first when the market anticipates it, then again when it lands. Coverage, not yield alone, is the buy thesis. Use the right measuring stick, run it every quarter, and treat management’s insistence that a payout is safe as one data point among many.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
NEW YORK and DENVER, Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Total Wireless and Western Union are inviting Los Angeles residents to experience the sights, sounds and spirit of Guadalajara, Mexico — without leaving Boyle Heights. Opening September 25 in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, “Mexico Transferred” is an immersive, in-person experience that recreates familiar moments of Mexican life through visual, audio and sensory storytelling. Created as a tribute to families who maintain meaningful connections across borders, the experience celebrates the memories and traditions that make home feel close, even when it’s miles away.
The experience will be located at 2204 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave in Boyle Heights, one of Los Angeles' most vibrant Mexican-American communities, where roughly 70 percent of residents are of Mexican heritage. There, “Mexico Transferred” will recreate the sights, sounds and cultural touchstones of Guadalajara through immersive audio, visual and sensory storytelling that are developed to reflect familiar moments that evoke memories of home. The experience captures everyday details that resonate across generations. From spotting a Vocho before it turns the corner to hearing a paletero's bell in the distance, “Mexico Transferred” brings a piece of home to Los Angeles.
To bring “Mexico Transferred” to life, members of the Total Wireless team traveled to Guadalajara to record the sounds, imagery and everyday details featured throughout the installation, from street vendors to music drifting from faraway celebrations. That on-the-ground work is what makes the experience feel truly authentic, immersing visitors in the heart of Guadalajara’s culture.
“Mexico Transferred” marks the next chapter in the growing partnership between Total Wireless and Western Union and reflects the shared belief that people aren't simply sending money across borders. They're maintaining relationships, traditions and a sense of belonging. Through familiar sounds, sights and memories, “Mexico Transferred” celebrates the ties that help families feel close, no matter the distance.
"This partnership has always been about more than a benefit on a bill," said Susie Corona, Associate Vice President and Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy for Verizon Value. "For many families, sending money home is really about staying close to the people and places that matter most. 'Mexico Transferred' brings that feeling to life in a way that's personal, emotional and authentic. While Total Wireless shows up to keep loved ones connected through our services all year long, during Hispanic Heritage Month we wanted to create something special that honors those bonds and celebrates the communities we serve."
A Partnership Built Around Community
What started with an industry-first benefit that includes one Western Union money transfer, on us, on select Total Wireless plans has expanded to include financial services including money transfers, bill pay and money order services available at Total Wireless stores. Services are available now in select stores and will expand to additional Total Wireless locations across the country through the end of 2026, giving communities greater access to money transfers, bill pay and money orders at participating locations.
"For generations, Western Union has helped people stay connected to home, no matter the distance," said Jesse Mory, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Western Union. "Mexico Transferred lets us tell that story in a new way - not through a receipt, but through an experience. We're proud to work alongside Total Wireless to celebrate the culture and connection that our customers carry with them every day."
Eligible Total Wireless customers on MAX 5G BYO, MAX 5G and ALL ACCESS plans continue to receive one Western Union money transfer, on us, each month. The benefit can be redeemed through Western Union’s website, mobile app and participating Total Wireless stores.
Part of a Bigger Season of Hispanic Heritage Month Programming
While Hispanic Heritage Month provides an opportunity to celebrate Latino culture and contributions, Total Wireless is deeply invested in supporting and empowering Latino communities year-round, through strategic sports partnerships, robust small business support, and sustained, intentional community engagement. “Mexico Transferred” builds on that ongoing commitment and anchors a broader slate of Hispanic Heritage Month programming running September 15 through through the end of October, including:
Tu Número Unlimited – a new campaign helping Latino small business owners turn a phone line into their first big push. In partnership with Hispanic designers, Total Wireless will transform the business logos + phone numbers into an illustration that will be shown in digital billboards across 4 markets. To make it easy for the community to support them, each billboard and retail display features a QR code that lets customers instantly save the featured business’s details directly to their phone contacts. Additionally, in-store events will be hosted for the businesses to showcase their craft and products in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas from October 3-10.Houston Astros Hispanic Heritage Weekend – a multi-touch activation September 18-20 including a free Hispanic Heritage Street Fest, a Total Wireless retail appearance from an Astros alumnus and in-stadium signage across 13 September home games.UFC Noche and UFC 331 – fighter meet-and-greets and fan activations around two UFC events celebrating Mexican and Latin American talent, in Glendale, Arizona (September 11-12) and Los Angeles (September 18-19).Nationwide community pop-ups – ten local activations in Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations across Atlanta, New York, San Antonio, Houston, Baltimore, Phoenix, Orlando and Los Angeles. Together, these programs reflect Total Wireless's ongoing commitment to serving Latino communities through meaningful investments in culture, entrepreneurship and community connection. From local retail partnerships and financial services to small business support and cultural programming, the brand continues to invest in the people and neighborhoods it serves year-round.
For more information, visit a local Total Wireless store or visit totalwireless.com.
About Total Wireless
Total Wireless is a fast-growing, no-contract wireless provider covered by the Verizon 5G network, with 2,000 exclusive stores across the country. On a mission to raise the bar in prepaid wireless, Total Wireless offers more value than any other no-contract provider, with plans featuring unlimited data and access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband network, prices guaranteed for five years (taxes and fees included), select free 5G phones with qualifying purchase plans, and more. A community-centric brand, Total Wireless is proud to support neighborhoods across the country through its Total Spark program, empowering local nonprofits with grants to support working students. Total Wireless is part of the Verizon Value portfolio of prepaid brands, which includes Straight Talk, Visible, Tracfone, Simple Mobile, SafeLink, Walmart Family Mobile, and Verizon Prepaid.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is committed to helping people around the world who aspire to build financial futures for themselves, their loved ones and their communities. Our leading cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments and digital financial services empower consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments—across more than 200 countries and territories and nearly 130 currencies—to connect with billions of bank accounts, millions of digital wallets and cards, and a global footprint of hundreds of thousands of retail locations. Our goal is to offer accessible financial services that help people and communities prosper. For more information, visit westernunion.com.
NUEVA YORK Y DENVER, Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Total Wireless y Western Union invitan a los residentes de Los Ángeles a reconectar con los recuerdos, las tradiciones y los momentos cotidianos de Guadalajara, México, sin salir de Boyle Heights.
In the latest close session, Western Union (WU - Free Report) was up +1.44% at $7.03. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.48%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.29%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.56%.
The stock of money transfer company has fallen by 6.98% in the past month, lagging the Business Services sector's loss of 2.87% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.82%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.35, down 25.53% from the prior-year quarter. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $1.05 billion, up 1.6% from the year-ago period.
WU's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $1.29 per share and revenue of $4.13 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of -26.29% and +2.04%, respectively.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Western Union. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.01% downward. Western Union presently features a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
From a valuation perspective, Western Union is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 5.37. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 13.14 of its industry.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 178, putting it in the bottom 28% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners, but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like D-Wave Quantum, which shot up +680.1%.
In the latest trading session, Western Union (WU - Free Report) closed at $7.00, marking a -2.51% move from the previous day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.58%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 1.18%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.32%.
The money transfer company's stock has climbed by 2.13% in the past month, exceeding the Business Services sector's loss of 1.01% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.36%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect Western Union to post earnings of $0.35 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 25.53%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $1.05 billion, up 1.6% from the year-ago period.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $1.29 per share and revenue of $4.13 billion. These totals would mark changes of -26.29% and +2.04%, respectively, from last year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union should also be noted by investors. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.01% decrease. Western Union presently features a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
From a valuation perspective, Western Union is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 5.56. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 13.56 of its industry.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 184, positioning it in the bottom 26% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.
Western Union (WU - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $7.16, moving -1.1% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.33%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.7%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.12%.
Shares of the money transfer company have appreciated by 13.84% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Business Services sector's gain of 0.98%, and the S&P 500's gain of 3.87%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $0.35, signifying a 25.53% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $1.05 billion, indicating a 1.6% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.29 per share and a revenue of $4.13 billion, representing changes of -26.29% and +2.04%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 25.97% lower. Western Union currently has a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
In terms of valuation, Western Union is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 5.61. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 13.52.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 150, placing it within the bottom 40% of over 250 industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
Key Takeaways Western Union targets $50M in 2026 savings and $200M by the end of 2027.Digital growth is pressuring revenue and margins as transactions shift away from cash payouts.AI, lower payout costs and operational changes aim to support profitability and second-half results. The Western Union Company (WU - Free Report) is facing profitability pressure as its business shifts toward digital payments. In the second quarter of 2026, branded digital transactions grew 25%, but adjusted revenues increased only 6%. At the same time, adjusted operating margin fell to 15% from 19% a year ago. The shift from cash payouts to digital and account payouts is weighing on revenues and profit per transaction.
To address the profitability pressure, the Beyond Efficiency program targets $50 million in run-rate savings by year-end 2026 and $200 million by the end of 2027. The plan includes reducing discretionary operations and technology capacity by 20% and closing existing European digital wallets, which is expected to generate $6 million to $8 million in run-rate savings.
The company is using AI to automate work and align operations with local markets. For example, APAC agent onboarding is being moved from Lithuania and Costa Rica to Manila, which is expected to reduce unit labor costs while improving cost, quality and speed. Another focus is lowering the cost of moving money. In Colombia, it recently reduced a digital payout cost from more than $2 per transaction to less than $0.50 per transaction, which should boost contribution profit.
Execution of these steps is key to an earnings turnaround. New agent wins, a better revenue mix and the accelerated Beyond Efficiency program are expected to support stronger results. With full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance revised down to $1.25-$1.35, disciplined execution will be critical for WU to stabilize profitability and strengthen its long-term earnings trajectory.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of WU’s competitors in the payments space include Euronet Worldwide, Inc. (EEFT - Free Report) and Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY - Free Report) .
Euronet operates across electronic payments, money transfers and financial services. Its diversified operations include Ria Money Transfer, a global ATM network and electronic point-of-sale processing. EEFT continues to invest in expanding its physical and digital payment infrastructure to support global transaction growth.
Remitly Global focuses on digital financial services, with cross-border remittances as its core business. Operating an asset-light, mobile-first model, RELY continues to expand its digital platform and customer reach while focusing on transaction growth and operating efficiency in the international money-movement market.
Western Union’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of WU have fallen 16% over the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 14.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Western Union trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 5.02X, significantly down from the industry average of 18.84X. WU carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Western Union’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.29 per share, implying a 26.3% decline from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
WU currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways Western Union is expanding services to Total Wireless stores across the United States by end-2026.The partnership adds physical touchpoints to WU's digital capabilities and supports its omnichannel model.WU's Q2 2026 Branded Digital transactions rose 25%, while Consumer Services revenues grew 4%. The Western Union Company (WU - Free Report) is widening its retail presence through an expanded partnership with Total Wireless, bringing money transfers, bill payments and money order services to Total Wireless stores across the United States. The rollout, which begins in select locations and is expected to expand to additional locations across the country by the end of 2026, gives WU access to a wider customer base while increasing the visibility of its financial services in everyday retail settings.
The partnership aligns with Western Union’s strategy of combining digital capabilities with physical distribution. While customers can already access the company's services through its website and mobile app, adding transactions to Total Wireless stores strengthens its omnichannel model. Eligible customers on select Total Wireless plans will continue to receive one Western Union transfer-fee waiver each month, adding another touchpoint for customer engagement.
The timing is notable as WU’s second-quarter 2026 results showed mixed trends across its businesses. Branded Digital revenues increased 7% year over year on a GAAP basis, while transactions jumped 25%. Consumer Services revenues also grew 4% year over year on a GAAP basis.
As competition intensifies from digital-first fintech firms and payment platforms, partnerships like this might help WU defend market share while driving transaction volumes. Expanding into nontraditional retail channels could support customer acquisition, deepen engagement and reinforce WU’s role as a trusted provider of everyday financial services.
How Are Competitors Faring?Some of WU’s competitors in the payments space include Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) and Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) .
Mastercard is expanding beyond cards through Mastercard Move, which supports transfers across accounts, cards and wallets. The platform is broadening its reach through new payment corridors and endpoints, while MA’s switched transactions increased 9% year over year in the second quarter of 2026.
Visa is gaining traction in money movement through Visa Direct, with Visa Direct transactions rising 21% year over year in the third-quarter of fiscal 2026. Its expanding payout, cross-border and account-to-account capabilities position V to capture a larger share of the global money-movement opportunity.
Western Union’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of WU have fallen 13.1% over the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 13.5%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Western Union trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 4.97X, significantly down from the industry average of 18.79X. WU carries a Value Score of A.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Western Union’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.29 per share, implying a 26.3% decline from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
WU currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of WU either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
NEW YORK and DENVER, Aug. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Total Wireless today announced an expanded partnership with Western Union, bringing a suite of Western Union’s financial services to the Total Wireless retail footprint nationwide. Services begin in select stores today and will expand to additional Total Wireless locations across the country through the end of 2026, giving communities greater access to money transfers, bill pay and money orders at participating locations.
Eligible Total Wireless customers on MAX 5G BYO, MAX 5G and ALL ACCESS plans continue to receive one fee-free Western Union money transfer, on us, each month. The benefit can be redeemed through Western Union's website, mobile app and participating Total Wireless stores.
"Our stores are gathering places in the communities we serve," said David Kim, President of Verizon Value. "By adding Western Union to the retail experience, we're expanding access to everyday financial services for everyone. Whether customers need to send money, pay bills, or purchase money orders, they can now do it at Total Wireless, right alongside getting the reliable 5G connectivity they count on. That's what it means to put community first."
The retail expansion builds on Total Wireless' June launch as the first U.S. wireless carrier to offer monthly money transfers at no additional cost, extending the brand's commitment to delivering meaningful value beyond connectivity.
What’s Available
Services for All Customers: Bill pay, money order, and money transfer services are available to all customers at standard Western Union rates.Plan Benefit: Eligible Total Wireless MAX 5G BYO, MAX 5G and ALL ACCESS customers continue to receive one monthly fee-free Western Union transfer on us.How to Access: Online at westernunion.com, through the Western Union app, or in person at participating Total Wireless stores.Global Reach: Send to 200+ countries and territories backed by Western Union's network of more than 360,000 payout locations worldwide. "Millions of customers rely on Western Union to move money across borders with speed and confidence,” said Jesse Mory, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Western Union. “By bringing our services to Total Wireless stores, we're meeting more customers where they already shop and expanding access to reliable, convenient financial services. This partnership strengthens our presence in communities where our customers live and work."
For more information, visit a local Total Wireless store or https://www.totalwireless.com/m/extras/western-union
Western Union fee-free transfer benefit valid once per month for eligible Total Wireless plan customers. Applies to Western Union transfer fee only. Exchange rates and applicable taxes/surcharges apply. Money transfers, bill pay and money order services are available to all customers at standard Western Union rates.
About Total Wireless
Total Wireless is a fast-growing, no-contract wireless provider covered by the Verizon 5G network, with 2,000 exclusive stores across the country. On a mission to raise the bar in prepaid wireless, Total Wireless offers more value than any other no-contract provider, with plans featuring unlimited data and access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband network, prices guaranteed for five years (taxes and fees included), select free 5G phones with qualifying purchase plans, and more. A community-centric brand, Total Wireless is proud to support neighborhoods across the country through its Total Spark program, empowering local nonprofits with grants to support working students. Total Wireless is part of the Verizon Value portfolio of prepaid brands, which includes Straight Talk, Visible, Tracfone, Simple Mobile, SafeLink, Walmart Family Mobile, and Verizon Prepaid.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is committed to helping people around the world who aspire to build financial futures for themselves, their loved ones and their communities. Our leading cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments and digital financial services empower consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments—across more than 200 countries and territories and nearly 130 currencies—to connect with billions of bank accounts, millions of digital wallets and cards, and a global footprint of hundreds of thousands of retail locations. Our goal is to offer accessible financial services that help people and communities prosper. For more information, visit westernunion.com.
Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) by 43.5% in the undefined quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,838,382 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 1,163,577 shares during the period. Bank of America
DENVER & MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) and International Money Express, Inc. (Intermex) (NASDAQ: IMXI) today provided an update regarding regulatory approvals for Western Union's pending acquisition of Intermex. Western Union and Intermex announced today that the parties have received regulatory approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services (the "NYDFS") for Western Union's pending acquisition of Intermex. In connection with the approval, Weste.
Western Union's pending acquisition of International Money Express (Intermex) has received regulatory approval from New York but faces further review by California, Western Union said in a Friday (Aug. 14) press release.
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) and International Money Express, Inc. (Intermex) (NASDAQ: IMXI) today provided an update regarding regulatory approvals for
DENVER and MIAMI, Aug. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) and International Money Express, Inc. (Intermex) (NASDAQ: IMXI) today provided an update regarding regulatory approvals for Western Union's pending acquisition of Intermex.
Western Union (WU +1.21%) has been around since 1851, and this may be the lowest point it has ever experienced in its history. Its shares are down 75% from their highs, reaching a 21st-century low as its physical remittance business is rapidly being disrupted by digital peers.
Many investors look at Western Union and its dividend, which now yields 13.5%, as an attractive value stock to bet on. However, the opposite is true. Western Union looks like a prototypical value trap, while its competitor, Remitly Global (RELY +2.69%), looks like a great stock to buy for the long haul.
Here's why I'm betting on Remitly Global and avoiding buying Western Union's 13.5% dividend yield.
Image source: Getty Images.
Struggling market transition Before the internet and digital money, Western Union had built itself a nice business for international money transfers. Through retail partnerships worldwide, the company made it easy for citizens of one country to deposit money at a Western Union branch and have the recipient pick it up anywhere in the world. All with Western Union's cut, of course.
Now, the vast majority of people worldwide would rather send money digitally via smartphones, which is leading to significant declines in physical retail revenue. The company is trying to transition its customer base to its own digital product, which grew revenue by 7% year over year last quarter. However, it hasn't been able to offset the decline in physical retail and comes with much lower profit margins.
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Western Union's operating margin was 13% last quarter, down from 19% the year prior. Significant declines in the physical retail business will lead to further margin compression in the years ahead unless it can accelerate market share gains in the digital remittance space. As this margin continues to decline, Western Union will have trouble paying its dividend, which is likely to be cut in the near future.
Remitly's market share gains Contrast these margin declines with Remitly, a pure-play digital remittance operation that's lapping up Western Union's market share losses while benefiting from its leaner operating model.
Last quarter, Remitly's customer base grew 20% year over year to 10.1 million. Revenue also grew 20% to $495 million, with total send volume across the platform up 27% to $23.5 billion. The company may not be as big as Western Union today, but it's taking market share while the former is losing share, and quickly.
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At the same time, Remitly's margins are beginning to expand as it gains operating leverage over its existing remittance rails. Last quarter, it actually had the same operating margin as Western Union, at 13.5%, even though it is still investing heavily in marketing, product development, and opening up new remittance corridors.
As Western Union continues to struggle, Remitly should capitalize on its losses, leading to further market share gains and revenue growth in the coming years.
WU EBIT Margin (Quarterly) data by YCharts
Why Remitly is a better buy The one reason to buy Western Union stock is its high dividend yield in the double digits. However, with operating income declining 30% year over year last quarter, the company will likely need to cut its dividend quickly and manage the $2.7 billion in debt on its balance sheet. No matter how cheap the stock looks today, earnings declining at this rate will almost certainly lead to trouble.
Contrast this with Remitly, which has a market capitalization of $4.9 billion and expects to generate more than $3 billion in revenue by 2028. If it can keep expanding its profit margins to 20%, this $3 billion in revenue could turn into $600 million in bottom-line earnings, or just a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 8. This makes the stock much cheaper than Western Union if you plan to hold for multiple years, and look beyond timestamp metrics like trailing dividend yield.
News of a dividend cut is not something any investor wants to hear. The stock can plummet afterward, and the dividend income will be a fraction of what it was before. If a company deploys a cut, it'll want to be confident it gets it right to avoid having to do so again in the near future. That's why cuts normally are steep and aren't just modest reductions. They happen when things have gone incredibly badly for their respective businesses.
That also means, however, that investors may be able to spot warning signs in advance. There are three dividend stocks that I believe may be headed for trouble, and which I predict will slash their payouts within the next three years: Kraft Heinz (KHC -0.86%), Western Union (WU +0.07%), and Nike (NKE -1.84%). Here's why I think the writing is on the wall for these stocks and their payouts.
Image source: Getty Images.
Kraft Heinz Kraft and Heinz may be iconic food brands, but the business that owns them just hasn't been doing that well. Revenue declined last year, as it did the year before. There are question marks about its future growth, and it recently contemplated breaking up its business, only to end up halting those plans after reports that Berkshire Hathaway, a major shareholder, was reportedly contemplating dumping the stock -- perhaps due to the possible split.
There are clear challenges for Kraft, and while its new CEO, Steve Cahillane, believes the issues are fixable, investors should tread cautiously. If Kraft is unable to return to growth and improve its financial performance, it may only be a matter of time before a dividend cut occurs.
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Kraft cut its dividend in 2019, but even now, with profits shrinking and so many question marks hanging over the business, the current payout might not last much longer. I'd be surprised if the food company doesn't slash the dividend again in the near future.
Western Union In some cases, just looking at the size of a yield can make it fairly obvious that there's trouble brewing. Financial services company Western Union pays a dividend that yields more than 13%. If the market thought that the payout was sustainable, it might be the hottest dividend stock to own. Instead, it's down 25% this year and by nearly 70% over a five-year period.
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In its most recent quarter, which ended on June 30, Western Union's revenue was down just 1%, but its operating income declined a mammoth 31%. Remarkably, despite its struggles and such a high yield, the stock's payout ratio is only around 76%.
However, with further earnings deterioration potentially on the horizon, the ratio is likely to rise higher. Between rising competition and adverse macroeconomic and trade issues affecting its business, it's difficult to see a path for things to improve for Western Union anytime soon. While the payout is sustainable for now, a dividend cut may be inevitable down the road.
Nike Apparel giant Nike is facing some challenging market conditions. It's in the midst of a turnaround, and its dividend may be a necessary casualty as the business looks to strengthen its growth prospects. Generating any sort of sales growth has been a challenge.
In the company's most recent fiscal year, which ended on May 31, revenue was flat, and net income declined by 3%, and those numbers would have been even worse if not for tariff refunds.
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Nike's been in bad shape for a while, with its stock down more than 75% over the past five years. As a result of the decline, the stock's yield has risen to nearly 4%, which may not seem unsustainable, but that's far higher than normal. The company hasn't shown enough progress in its turnaround to prove it's on the right path. Meanwhile, its free cash flow over the trailing 12 months has totaled $2.2 billion -- less than the $2.4 billion it's paid out in dividends.
Unless things improve drastically for Nike within the next three years, I fully expect it to cut its dividend.
The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU – Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Strong Sell” from the thirteen analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and six have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $7.5455.
A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Western Union from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Barclays dropped their target price on Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup decreased their price target on Western Union from $8.50 to $7.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Western Union in a research report on Friday, July 31st.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WU
Western Union Trading Down 0.7% WU opened at $7.03 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $7.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. Western Union has a 12 month low of $6.27 and a 12 month high of $10.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.72 and a beta of 0.48.
Western Union (NYSE:WU – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.11). Western Union had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 50.89%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Western Union will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Western Union Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.4%. Western Union’s payout ratio is presently 76.42%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Western Union Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Western Union in the second quarter valued at $241,806,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Western Union by 401.4% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,604,026 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $70,793,000 after purchasing an additional 6,087,613 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 821.1% in the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 4,170,343 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $35,114,000 after purchasing an additional 3,717,589 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 3,370.2% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,740,849 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $34,827,000 after purchasing an additional 3,633,049 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of Western Union by 128.4% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 4,900,542 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $39,155,000 after purchasing an additional 2,754,827 shares during the period. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Western Union (Get Free Report)
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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SummaryDespite acquisition rumors, given The Western Union Company's deteriorating strategic asset as indicated by its performance on key metrics, it would be wise to avoid such troublesome predicaments.Declining performance on key metrics indicates the deterioration of the Western Union brand, once synonymous with cross-border remittance.Western Union's inextricable attachment to its vast retail network is making its business structure increasingly obsolete as remittance shifts to digital.Considering the $200 million cost-saving initiative, I believe fair value for a Western Union acquisition is around $9.60 per share, an upside of roughly 35% at the current price. VIDOK/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
Introduction After reporting disappointing Q2 2026 earnings results, The Western Union Company's (WU) stock plunged by almost 18%, indicating the market's dissatisfaction with the results. For the quarter, WU reported revenue and an EPS
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Amundi boosted its stake in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU – Free Report) by 1,179.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 576,465 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 531,412 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned 0.18% of Western Union worth $5,033,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Parvin Asset Management LLC grew its position in Western Union by 56.1% during the first quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC now owns 16,625 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $145,000 after buying an additional 5,975 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Western Union by 23.2% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,020 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 1,509 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Western Union by 18.3% during the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 383,223 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,346,000 after acquiring an additional 59,318 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Western Union by 28.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,922,728 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $16,785,000 after acquiring an additional 426,939 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Western Union by 76.8% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 57,621 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $503,000 after acquiring an additional 25,030 shares during the period. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $8.00 price target on shares of Western Union in a report on Friday, July 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price objective on Western Union from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Western Union from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Western Union from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Western Union from $7.00 to $6.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Western Union has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $7.55.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on WU
Western Union Stock Performance NYSE WU opened at $7.23 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $7.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $8.69. The company has a market cap of $2.26 billion, a PE ratio of 5.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.47. The Western Union Company has a 1-year low of $6.27 and a 1-year high of $10.35.
Western Union (NYSE:WU – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. Western Union had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 50.89%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.37 earnings per share. Western Union has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Western Union Company will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Western Union Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 13.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. Western Union’s payout ratio is currently 76.42%.
Western Union Profile (Free Report)
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.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Western Union SpaceX: Love the Company, But the Stock Is a Harder Call Ulta’s Growth Is Real, But So Are the Risks BWX Technologies Is Turning the AI Power Problem Into a Nuclear Growth Story Meta’s Earnings Drop Shows Wall Street Wants More Than Ad Growth Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU – Free Report).
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Western Union and global stablecoin platform Rain launched a stablecoin-based solution designed to enable users to hold dollar value, protect their money in markets where currencies frequently fluctuate, and spend that value at any Visa merchant or ATM, online or in store.
The new Stablecard by Western Union combines a digital USDPT wallet and a Visa card in a single experience, Western Union said in a Tuesday (Aug. 4) press release.
With Stablecard, users can receive funds and store value in USDPT, which is a U.S. dollar stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital on the Solana blockchain, in a digital wallet and use a USDPT-backed Visa secured credit card to spend anywhere Visa is accepted, according to the release.
Western Union launched Stablecard in 37 markets, including key markets where local currency is not stable and there is already demand for stablecoins. The company plans to offer Stablecard in more than 60 markets by the end of the year, per the release.
The Stablecard mobile app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Western Union President and CEO Devin McGranahan said in the release that Stablecard furthers the company’s efforts to make global financial services more accessible.
“By combining the stability of a dollar-backed digital asset with the scale of Western Union’s global network and Visa’s acceptance footprint, we’re giving consumers a new way to hold value, move money and spend confidently across borders,” McGranahan said.
Rain CEO and Co-Founder Farooq Malik said in the release that Western Union is making stablecoin efficiency accessible to people who have never thought about on-chain money.
“With Rain’s enterprise infrastructure underneath both the wallet and card, users enjoy a modern experience that just works with all of the compliance and protections built in,” Malik said.
Western Union executives said during a Thursday (July 30) earnings call that the company is sharpening its focus on digital and artificial intelligence.
In April, as Western Union was preparing to launch USDPT, the company said the stablecoin would provide customers with a bridge between fiat and crypto, digital payment access for those who are unbanked, global accessibility, U.S. dollar price stability and 24/7 availability.
Meanwhile, Rain announced in January that it raised $250 million in a Series C funding round to scale its infrastructure for stablecoin payments and add new capabilities and products.
In May 2025, Rain joined Visa’s pilot program for stablecoin settlement. The company said that by fully tokenizing its credit card receivables and transitioning all settlement transactions for its Visa cards to USDC, it can settle with Visa seven days a week, 365 days a year.
While stablecoins are often framed as a new front-end payment method, their core unlock is actually around merging money movement and reconciliation into a single digital packet, Malik told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster in an interview posted in September.
The Western Union Company (âWestern Unionâ) (NYSE: WU) and [url="]Rain[/url], today announced the launch of Stablecard by Western Union, a digital wallet an
DENVER & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (“Western Union”) (NYSE: WU) and Rain, today announced the launch of Stablecard by Western Union, a digital wallet and USDPT-backed Visa secured credit card designed to enable consumers to hold, move and spend U.S. dollar value globally. Stablecard offers a consumer-friendly way to receive funds and store value in USDPT, a U.S. dollar stablecoin, in a secure digital wallet and spend seamlessly anywhere Visa is accepted. USDPT is issu.
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) announced today that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share, payable September 30, 2026, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 16, 2026.About Western UnionThe Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is committed to helping people around the world who aspire to build financial futures for themselves, their loved ones and their communities. Our leading cross-border, cross-.
Key Takeaways Western Union missed Q2 EPS estimates as CMT retail weakness and higher expenses pressured results.WU cut 2026 adjusted revenue growth and EPS guidance following the weaker quarterly performance.WU saw 25% Branded Digital transaction growth, while Consumer Services revenues rose on Travel Money gains. The Western Union Company (WU - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 31 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 27.9%. The bottom line declined 26.2% year over year.
Total revenues were $1.01 billion, which declined 1.3% from the prior-year period's level. However, the top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.6%.
Lower revenues and higher expenses in the Consumer Money Transfer (“CMT”) retail business, lower margins in the Consumer Services business, and increased operating expenses weighed on second-quarter earnings. These headwinds were partly offset by growth in the Consumer Services and Branded Digital businesses, driven by higher bill payment revenues and growth in the Travel Money business.
The Western Union Company Price, Consensus and EPS SurpriseQ2 Performance of WUAdjusted operating margin fell 400 bps to 15%, caused by lower revenues and higher expenses in the CMT retail business, lower margins in the Consumer Services business, and higher operating expenses.
Total expenses rose 5.7% year over year to $881.1 million. The year-over-year increase resulted from higher cost of services and SG&A expenses.
Operating income of $132.1 million declined 31% year over year and lagged our estimate of $175.3 million.
Segment Analysis of WUThe Consumer Money Transfer segment recorded revenues of $866.1 million, which slipped 2% year over year. The figure exceeded both the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $852.2 million and our model estimates of $844.1 million. Operating income declined 25% year over year to $125.7 million. The metric missed the consensus mark of $145.5 million and our estimate of $146.8 million. The operating income margin declined 400 bps year over year to 15%.
Transactions in the CMT segment grew 3% year over year. Excluding Iraq, adjusted revenues declined 4% year over year. Branded Digital transactions increased 25% year over year. Branded Digital revenues, which accounted for 32% of CMT's second-quarter revenues, rose 7% on a reported basis and 6% on an adjusted basis.
The Consumer Services segment’s revenues rose 4% year over year on a reported basis and 12% on an adjusted basis, reaching $147.1 million in the quarter. This growth was driven by the expansion of the Travel Money business and increased revenues from the bill payment segment. The metric missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $154.7 million.
Operating income totaled $23.3 million, which decreased 26% year over year. The metric missed the consensus mark as well as our estimate. The operating income margin declined 600 bps year over year to 16%.
WU’s Q2 Financial PositionWestern Union exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $919.8 million, which decreased from the 2025-end level of $1.2 billion. Total assets of $8 billion declined from $8.3 billion as of 2025-end.
Borrowings totaled $2.7 billion, down from $2.9 billion as of 2025-end.
Total stockholders’ equity declined to $914.7 million from $957.8 million at the end of 2025.
WU generated net cash from operations of $213.9 million in the first six months of 2026, up from $147.9 million in the year-ago period.
Western Union’s Capital DeploymentWestern Union returned $73.3 million to shareholders through dividends in the second quarter of 2026. During the first six months of 2026, the company repurchased $53.7 million of its common stock. As of June 30, 2026, $721.6 million remained available under its share repurchase authorization.
WU’s 2026 ViewThe company now expects adjusted revenue growth of 4-6%, down from the previous guidance of 6-9%.
Adjusted EPS guidance was lowered to $1.25-$1.35 from the earlier projection of $1.75-$1.85. The midpoint of the revised guidance implies a 25.7% decline from the 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.75.
The company also expects an adjusted effective tax rate of 13-15% and a GAAP effective tax rate of 20-22%.
In the second quarter, Western Union did not provide GAAP EPS guidance, citing the inability to reliably estimate certain reconciling items. Previously, the company had projected GAAP EPS in the range of $1.50-$1.60, the midpoint of which implied approximately 2% growth from the 2025 GAAP EPS of $1.52.
WU’s Zacks RankWU currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
How Did WU’s Peers Perform?Several companies in the business services space, including Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MRSH - Free Report) , Visa Inc.(V - Free Report) and Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) , have reported their financial results for the June quarter of 2026. Here’s how they have performed:
MRSH reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $2.96, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%. The bottom line advanced 8.8% year over year. Consolidated revenues of $7.4 billion improved 6.2% year over year. The figure rose 5% on an underlying basis. The top line beat the consensus mark by 2%. Marsh’s quarterly results benefited from solid growth in the Risk and Insurance Services and Consulting units. However, the upside was partially offset by elevated operating expenses, primarily due to increased compensation and benefits.
Visa delivered third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.32 per share, which rose 11% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%. Net revenues were $11.63 billion, rising 14% year over year. Visa’s quarterly results reflected resilient spending trends, higher cross-border volumes and solid network activity, including a 10% year-over-year increase in payments volume on a constant-dollar basis. However, the upside was partly offset by increased operating expenses.
Mastercard reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $5.04 per share, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.7%. The bottom line improved 21.4% year over year. Net revenues advanced 14.1% year over year to $9.3 billion. The top line beat the consensus mark by 2.4%. Mastercard’s quarterly results benefited from strong cross-border volume growth, increased switched transactions and robust demand for value-added services. However, the upside was partly offset by higher payment network rebates from renewed deals and an escalating operating expense level.
Old Money, New Tech: Western Union's Crypto RebootWestern Union NYSE: WU reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $1 billion, with adjusted revenue declining 1% from a year earlier, as continued weakness in Americas retail money transfers and a shift toward lower-profit digital payout transactions weighed on results.
Adjusted earnings per share were $0.31, down from $0.42 in the prior-year quarter and below the company’s expectations. Chief Executive Officer Devin McGranahan said the result reflected lower profitability in the Americas retail business, lower profitability in the Middle East, higher agent commissions and continued migration from cash payouts to digital account and wallet payouts.
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5 best fintech stocks to buy now“Our financial results in this quarter came in below our expectations for the second quarter in a row,” McGranahan said. “This is not acceptable, we are not satisfied with the current operating performance and will be implementing significant changes as a result.”
Transaction Growth Improves, but Mix Pressures Margins Consumer Money Transfer transactions increased 3% year over year, marking the company’s highest transaction growth rate since the second quarter of 2024. McGranahan said the result was a 300-basis-point improvement from the first quarter and a 600-basis-point improvement from the prior year.
However, the growth came disproportionately from lower-contribution-profit channels. The company said cash payouts generally generate higher revenue per transaction and contribution profit per transaction than digital payout transactions. Western Union has also seen rapid growth in digital payout-to-account and payout-to-wallet activity, which management said has created margin headwinds.
Account payout transactions grew 50% during the quarter, while CEO McGranahan said payout-to-account and payout-to-wallet transactions have increased 25% over the past 12 months. He cited Colombia as an example of the changing mix, where remittance volumes have shifted from cash payouts toward bank accounts, the Nequi wallet and the country’s Bre-B real-time payments system.
Chief Financial Officer Matt Cagwin said retail money transfers in the U.S. remained under pressure because immigration policy has reduced new migration, which management described as a key source of new retail customers. U.S. retail transactions remained down in the mid-teens during the quarter, though U.S.-to-Mexico transaction declines improved to slightly more than 3%.
Management said policy-related impacts have stabilized in some corridors and improved from the lows of 2025, but have not eased as much as the company expected at the beginning of the year.
Digital and Consumer Services Growth Continue Western Union’s Branded Digital business recorded 25% transaction growth and 6% adjusted revenue growth in the second quarter. The company said much of that growth was driven by partnerships in the Middle East, where transaction volumes have expanded but revenue per transaction and profitability are lower than in its traditional licensed operations.
McGranahan said the company has started to pull back on certain promotional offers in the U.S. and Europe after determining that aggressive customer incentives were not delivering acceptable longer-term returns. He said new-customer growth has recently improved at higher revenue per transaction levels.
The company is also accelerating deployment of its Beyond Digital platform, with planned launches in Australia, Europe and the U.S. before year-end. Western Union expects the platform to improve onboarding and customer acquisition returns, and continues to target deployment across major markets by the end of 2027.
Consumer Services adjusted revenue rose 12%, supported by Bill Pay, Travel Money and check-cashing contributions. Consumer Services represented 15% of total revenue during the quarter, compared with 6% in 2022, according to Cagwin. Segment profitability declined, however, due to lower Travel Money operating profit, lower float income in Retail Money Order and delayed overhead reductions tied to a check-cashing acquisition.
Beyond Efficiency Program Targets $200 Million Run Rate Western Union launched a cost-reduction initiative called Beyond Efficiency, targeting $50 million in run-rate operating cost reductions by the end of 2026 and $200 million by the end of 2027. The program includes reducing redundant work, cutting discretionary operations and technology capacity by 20%, expanding automation and artificial intelligence use, localizing certain operating functions and reducing the costs of moving money.
Among the actions, the company plans to close its existing digital wallets in Europe, which management said should save $6 million to $8 million on a run-rate basis. Western Union expects to replace those wallets with its Beyond Digital platform by the end of the year.
Management also said it is pursuing lower digital payout costs. McGranahan said the company recently reduced the payout cost for transactions to Colombia’s Nequi wallet from more than $2 to less than $0.50.
Digital Asset Initiatives and Updated Outlook Western Union said it launched its USDPT U.S. dollar stablecoin in May and has made it available through four exchanges. The company is testing USDPT with counterparties for settlement of cross-border money transfers and has introduced a Treasury Bridge solution intended to improve liquidity movement and settlement speed.
The company also launched its Digital Asset Network, designed to connect exchanges and digital-asset partners to Western Union’s payout infrastructure. McGranahan said the first partner is live, with several additional launches expected in coming weeks. Western Union also launched its USDPT Stablecard.
For 2026, Western Union now expects adjusted revenue growth of 4% to 6%, including the planned Intermex acquisition and assuming a Sept. 1 close. The company expects adjusted EPS of $1.25 to $1.35 for the year, with second-half earnings anticipated to exceed first-half earnings due to new agent wins, seasonality, improved revenue mix and efficiency actions.
Western Union generated $214 million in year-to-date operating cash flow, up 45% from the prior year, and ended the quarter with $920 million of cash and cash equivalents and $2.7 billion of debt. The company returned more than $80 million to shareholders through dividends and repurchases during the quarter, but said it has paused buybacks to maintain targeted leverage levels while awaiting the Intermex transaction.
About Western Union (NYSE:WU)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.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Western Union is sharpening its focus on digital and artificial intelligence as it faces unexpected headwinds, executives said Thursday (July 30).
The company did not see the improvement in its Americas retail business that it expected in the second quarter, and a delay in its planned acquisition of Intermex pushed out the anticipated synergies from that deal, Western Union President and CEO Devin McGranahan said in a Thursday earnings release.
Western Union’s second quarter revenue declined 1% year over year to $1 billion, largely due to the slowdown in its Americas retail business, according to the release.
During a Thursday earnings call, McGranahan attributed the slowdown to changes in immigration policy.
“When migration goes negative, like we have seen in the U.S. and around parts of the Latin American region, it becomes difficult to replace customers that migrate to digital channels, find alternative options or leave the country to go home,” McGranahan said.
The company’s planned acquisition of Intermex, which was announced in August 2025, remains in discussions with regulators, including the New York Department of Financial Services. It was reported in May that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked the New York Department of Financial Services to block the deal, saying it would strain the economic circumstances of the city’s immigrant communities.
McGranahan said during Thursday’s earnings call: “We remain actively engaged in discussions with regulators on the final approval. I remain optimistic that we will be able to obtain the outstanding approval needed.”
In response to the challenges Western Union faced in the second quarter, the company is accelerating reductions in its operating expenses and continuing to invest in its digital products and consumer services businesses, McGranahan said in the earnings release.
Western Union aims to reduce by 20% discretionary operations and technology work that is not directly tied to growing digital, eliminate manual operations and reduce friction by accelerating its adoption of AI, and reduce the costs of moving money, according to a presentation released Thursday.
“We have ramped up our adoption of AI and other automation platforms significantly over the past six months, and we see meaningful opportunity to eliminate manual work and reduce the friction that results from our large geographically dispersed and highly regulated business,” McGranahan said during the call.
Western Union (WU - Free Report) reported $1.01 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 1.3%. EPS of $0.31 for the same period compares to $0.42 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 billion, representing a surprise of +0.59%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -27.91%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.43.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Western Union performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Consumer Money Transfer transactions - Total: 73.5 million compared to the 72.29 million average estimate based on four analysts.Consumer Money Transfer - Cross-border principal: 27.2 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of 27.29 billion.Revenue- Consumer Services: $147.1 million versus $154.74 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.3% change.Revenue- Consumer Money Transfer: $866.1 million compared to the $852.19 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of -2.1% year over year.Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Services: $23.3 million versus $40.82 million estimated by two analysts on average.Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Money Transfer: $125.7 million versus $145.48 million estimated by two analysts on average.View all Key Company Metrics for Western Union here>>>
Shares of Western Union have returned +3.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Western Union (WU - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.31 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.43 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.42 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -27.91%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this money transfer company would post earnings of $0.4 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.25, delivering a surprise of -37.5%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
Western Union, which belongs to the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry, posted revenues of $1.01 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.59%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.03 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Western Union shares have lost about 13.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 6.9%.
What's Next for Western Union?While Western Union has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Western Union was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.52 on $1.08 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.74 on $4.18 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial Transaction Services is currently in the bottom 40% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, RB Global (RBA - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 4.
This heavy equipment auctioneer is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.09 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +1.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.1% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.
RB Global's revenues are expected to be $1.25 billion, up 5.3% from the year-ago quarter.
The Western Union Company (WU) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 30, 2026 4:30 PM EDT
Company Participants
Tom Hadley - Head of Investor Relations
Devin McGranahan - President, CEO & Director
Matthew Cagwin - Executive VP & CFO
Conference Call Participants
Tien-Tsin Huang - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
William Nance - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Rayna Kumar - Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Research Division
Darrin Peller - Wolfe Research, LLC
Christopher Svensson - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division
Timothy Chiodo - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Vasundhara Govil - Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc., Research Division
Presentation
Operator
Good day, and welcome to the Western Union Second Quarter 2026 Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please note, this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Tom Hadley, Vice President of Investor Relations. Tom, please go ahead.
Tom Hadley
Head of Investor Relations
Thank you. On today's call, we will discuss the company's second quarter and our 2026 full year outlook, and then we will take your questions. The slides that accompany this call and webcast can be found at westernunion.com under the Investor Relations tab and will remain available after the call. Additional operational statistics have been provided in supplemental tables with our press release.
Joining me on the call today is our CEO, Devin McGranahan and our CFO, Matt Cagwin. Today's call is being recorded, and our comments include forward-looking statements. Please refer to the cautionary language in the earnings release and in Western Union's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 2025 Form 10-K for additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
During the call, we will discuss some items that do not conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Where possible, we have reconciled those items
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (the “Company” or “Western Union”) (NYSE: WU) today reported second quarter 2026 financial results. The Company's second-quarter revenue of $1.0 billion decreased 1% on both a reported and an adjusted basis. The change in adjusted revenue was largely driven by a slowdown in the Americas retail business offset by growth in our Consumer Services and Branded Digital businesses. “In the second quarter, we did not see the improvement in Americas Ret.
Key Takeaways WU's Q2 revenues are expected to dip as Consumer Money Transfer sales and operating income decline.WU's Consumer Services segment is projected to post revenue growth and a sharp increase in operating income.WU has beaten earnings estimates in two of the past four quarters and missed in the other two. The Western Union Company (WU - Free Report) is set to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, 2026, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s earnings is currently pegged at 43 cents per share on revenues of $1.01 billion.
The second-quarter earnings estimate remained stable over the past 60 days. The bottom-line projection indicates a year-over-year jump of 2.4%. However, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues suggests a year-over-year decrease of 1.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
For 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Western Union’s revenues is pegged at $4.18 billion, implying a rise of 3.2% year over year. The consensus mark for 2026 EPS is pegged at $1.74, implying a year-over-year decrease of 0.6%.
Western Union beat the consensus estimate in two of the last four quarters and missed twice, with the average surprise being negative 7%. This is depicted in the figure below.
Q2 Earnings Whispers for Western UnionOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for the company this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That’s not the case here.
WU has an Earnings ESP of -6.50% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
What’s Shaping WU’s Q2 Results?The Zacks Consensus Estimate and our model estimate for Consumer Money Transfer revenues indicate 3.7% and 4.6% year-over-year decreases, respectively. The consensus mark for C2C transactions indicates a 1.2% year-over-year increase, while we expect a 1% rise.
Geographically, revenues are expected to decline year over year in North America, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Asia Pacific. This is likely to have led to lower revenues. Furthermore, the consensus mark for operating income from the Consumer Money Transfer segment signals a 13.2% year-over-year decline, whereas our model predicts a 12.4% fall.
However, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Consumer Services revenues indicates 9.7% year-over-year growth, while our model estimate predicts a 10.3% increase. The consensus mark for operating income from the segment predicts a 29.2% year-over-year surge, while our model indicates a 29.7% jump.
Moreover, our model estimate for total operating expenses indicates a 1.1% year-over-year decrease due to lower cost of services and SG&A costs. These are likely to have led to bottom-line growth.
How Are Peers Doing This Quarter?Companies in the broader Finance space, like Synchrony Financial (SYF - Free Report) and American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) , have already reported their results for the June quarter, and Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) is yet to report.
Synchrony Financial reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.59, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 24.5%, and the bottom line increased 3.6% year over year. The quarterly results were driven by record purchase volume, accelerated growth in ending loan receivables despite elevated payment behavior, continued credit strength and an expansion in net interest margin. However, SYF’s higher operating expenses and an increase in the provision for credit losses partly offset these positives.
American Express reported second-quarter 2026 EPS of $4.53, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.7%. The bottom line advanced 11% year over year. The strong quarterly results were driven by increased Card Member spending, higher net interest income and improved card fee growth. However, the upside was partly offset by AXP’s elevated operating expenses.
Mastercard is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s earnings is currently pegged at $4.77 per shareon revenues of $9.06 billion. The bottom-line projection indicates an increase of 14.9% from the year-ago reported number, while the same for revenues suggests year-over-year growth of 11.4%.
Western Union Digital Bank is being discontinued, is ending its services and will close all accounts two months after users have received their closure notice, the service’s operator, Western Union International Bank, said in a legal notice on its German website.
“We regularly review our products and services,” the bank said in the legal notice. “Following one of these reviews, we decided to discontinue Western Union Digital Bank.”
Western Union International Bank is an independent agent within the Western Union money transfer network; is headquartered in Vienna, Austria; and is regulated by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), according to its About Us page.
It was founded in 2004 as part of the Western Union Group, according to another page.
The FMA said in a July 14 announcement that it imposed a 42,000 euro (about $47,900) fine on Western Union International Bank for breaches of the reporting obligations of the digital operational resilience in the financial sector (DORA) rules. The bank delayed reporting information and communication technology-related incidents (ICT-related incidents), according to the announcement.
DORA took effect in January 2025 and imposed stricter regulations on banks and their IT providers across the European Union, requiring enhanced IT risk management, resilience testing and third-party risk oversight, PYMNTS reported at the time.
On Western Union Digital Bank’s account closure date, users will no longer have access to the Western Union Digital Bank app, the debit card linked to their accounts will be deactivated, and users will receive a confirmation notice when the account is closed, according to the legal notice.
The notice advised users to withdraw or transfer any remaining money from their account; provide alternative banking details to anyone that uses their Western Union Digital Banking IBAN; download and save any records they’d like to keep; and cancel their Premium subscription, if they have one.
Customers will still be able to use Western Union money transfer services through the Western Union website or app, as those services are separate from Western Union Digital Bank, per the legal notice.
“Any funds remaining in your account after closure will be handled in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and the General Terms and Conditions governing your account,” the legal notice said.
In its upcoming report, Western Union (WU - Free Report) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $0.43 per share, reflecting an increase of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $1.01 billion, representing a year-over-year decrease of 1.8%.
The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has undergone a downward revision of 2.7% in the past 30 days, bringing it to its present level. This represents how the covering analysts, as a whole, have reassessed their initial estimates during this timeframe.
Ahead of a company's earnings disclosure, it is crucial to give due consideration to changes in earnings estimates. These revisions serve as a noteworthy factor in predicting potential investor reactions to the stock. Numerous empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong relationship between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.
While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as indicators of quarterly business performance, exploring analysts' projections for specific key metrics can offer valuable insights.
Given this perspective, it's time to examine the average forecasts of specific Western Union metrics that are routinely monitored and predicted by Wall Street analysts.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Revenue- Consumer Services' reaching $154.74 million. The estimate indicates a change of +9.7% from the prior-year quarter.
The consensus among analysts is that 'Revenue- Consumer Money Transfer' will reach $852.19 million. The estimate suggests a change of -3.7% year over year.
Analysts expect 'Consumer Money Transfer transactions - Total' to come in at 72.29 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 71.40 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
It is projected by analysts that the 'Consumer Money Transfer - Cross-border principal' will reach 27.29 billion. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 26.70 billion in the same quarter of the previous year.
The average prediction of analysts places 'Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Services' at $40.82 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $31.60 million in the same quarter last year.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Money Transfer' will likely reach $145.48 million. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $167.70 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
View all Key Company Metrics for Western Union here>>>
Shares of Western Union have demonstrated returns of +7.1% over the past month compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), WU is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
