Algert Global LLC Buys 93,280 Shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU)

Algert Global LLC grew its stake in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) by 48.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 284,904 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 93,280 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC owned approximately 0.08% of Western Union worth $3,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its stake in Western Union by 4.5% in the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 323,059 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,511,000 after purchasing an additional 13,798 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC bought a new position in Western Union in the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Western Union by 7,569.8% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,905,891 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $194,405,000 after purchasing an additional 13,724,584 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank boosted its stake in shares of Western Union by 6.7% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 323,278 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,519,000 after purchasing an additional 20,184 shares during the period. Finally, Bluefin Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Western Union in the first quarter worth about $155,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.81% of the company’s stock.

Western Union Stock Up 0.8 %

NYSE:WU opened at $11.15 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.96, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The Western Union Company has a fifty-two week low of $10.51 and a fifty-two week high of $14.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.87.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. Western Union had a net margin of 16.07% and a return on equity of 120.39%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.43 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Western Union Company will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WU has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Western Union from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. StockNews.com raised Western Union from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Western Union from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Western Union from $13.50 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.86.

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.