Savant Capital LLC Takes Position in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU)

Savant Capital LLC bought a new position in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 73,063 shares of the credit services provider's stock, valued at approximately $774,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its holdings in shares of Western Union by 1,734.7% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,862 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 4,597 shares in the last quarter. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. raised its stake in Western Union by 129.5% in the fourth quarter. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. now owns 71,855 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $762,000 after buying an additional 40,548 shares in the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky bought a new position in Western Union in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Western Union during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Finally, Perigon Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Western Union during the 4th quarter valued at $144,000. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Western Union Stock Performance

Shares of WU traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $10.81. 2,503,517 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,706,331. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $10.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $11.15. The Western Union Company has a 12-month low of $10.04 and a 12-month high of $14.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.85.

Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.02). Western Union had a net margin of 22.19% and a return on equity of 96.90%. Equities analysts anticipate that The Western Union Company will post 1.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Western Union announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Friday, December 13th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the credit services provider to reacquire up to 27.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.70%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Western Union's payout ratio is 34.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on WU shares. StockNews.com raised Western Union from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Western Union from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 13th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Western Union from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Western Union from $13.50 to $12.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of Western Union from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have given a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $12.11.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company provides money movement and payment services worldwide. The company operates through Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services segments. The Consumer Money Transfer segment facilitates money transfers for international cross-border and intra-country transfers, primarily through a network of retail agent locations, as well as through websites and mobile devices.