Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU)

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,055,661 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 317,711 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 11.27% of Western Union worth $403,390,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Western Union in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky purchased a new position in shares of Western Union in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 4,597 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Western Union during the 4th quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, AlphaMark Advisors LLC grew its position in Western Union by 329.4% during the 4th quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 5,153 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 3,953 shares during the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Western Union Stock Down 3.6 %

WU traded down $0.38 during trading on Friday, reaching $10.13. The stock had a trading volume of 11,706,099 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,483,694. The Western Union Company has a one year low of $9.93 and a one year high of $13.93. The company has a market capitalization of $3.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04. The stock's 50 day moving average is $10.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.91.

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Western Union (NYSE:WU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.02). Western Union had a return on equity of 96.90% and a net margin of 22.19%. As a group, analysts expect that The Western Union Company will post 1.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. Western Union's payout ratio is 34.43%.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WU has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $14.00 price objective on shares of Western Union in a research report on Thursday. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on shares of Western Union from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Western Union from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Western Union from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Western Union in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $12.11.

Western Union Profile

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