Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Western Union Call Options (NYSE:WU)

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors bought 88,155 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 882% compared to the average volume of 8,973 call options.

Western Union Price Performance

WU stock opened at $9.34 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $2.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.08, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.51. Western Union has a fifty-two week low of $7.85 and a fifty-two week high of $11.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $9.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.72.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.1%. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.05%.

Insider Activity at Western Union

In related news, insider Giovanni Angelini acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $8.95 per share, with a total value of $89,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 186,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,673,041.40. This trade represents a 5.65% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Western Union

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WU. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its position in Western Union by 31.2% during the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 479,788 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,466,000 after buying an additional 114,035 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its holdings in shares of Western Union by 1,546.5% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 3,326 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 3,124 shares during the period. WealthCollab LLC raised its position in Western Union by 64.5% in the 4th quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 4,153 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,629 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Western Union during the 4th quarter worth $128,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its position in Western Union by 84.7% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 15,291 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 7,011 shares during the last quarter. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WU. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Western Union to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group upped their price target on Western Union from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Zacks Research raised Western Union from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.82.

About Western Union

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.