Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Lowers Holdings in The Western Union Company $WU

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its stake in shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) by 56.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 200,259 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 259,721 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Western Union were worth $1,600,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in Western Union by 649.4% in the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,462 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Western Union by 667.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,602 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 4,002 shares in the last quarter. Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Western Union in the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. purchased a new stake in Western Union during the third quarter worth $50,000. Finally, LB Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Western Union during the third quarter valued at $80,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WU has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Western Union to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Western Union from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Citigroup upgraded Western Union to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Western Union from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Western Union has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.82.

Western Union Price Performance

NYSE:WU opened at $9.79 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $9.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.83. The Western Union Company has a 12 month low of $7.85 and a 12 month high of $11.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80.

Western Union Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 22nd were paid a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.05%.

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.