# The Western Union Company (WU)

> Source: Nexqual · https://nexqual.com/WU · data as of 2026-10-22 20:00 UTC · cite as "Nexqual, The Western Union Company (WU), nexqual.com/WU" · informational, not investment advice.

**Price:** USD 6.43 (+2.88% on the day) · last close of Oct 22, 2026; US market pre market, not a live price. Prev close 6.25 · day 6.27–6.47 · 52w 5.87–10.35 · market cap $2.01B · NYQ

## Key facts
- Last four reported quarters (through Jun 30, 2026): revenue $4.04B, net income $395M (9.8% margin), free cash flow $565M (SEC filings).
- Valuation: P/E 5.1x (avg 5.7x at the last 3 fiscal year-ends), EV/EBITDA 5.3x, net debt $1.59B.
- Earnings quality: non-operating income -$138M vs operating income $642M over the last four quarters; P/E excluding non-operating income ≈4.0x (estimate: non-operating income taxed at the company's 21.6% effective rate).
- 1 of 80 tracked superinvestors hold WU (13F, Q2 2026): 0 new, 1 added, 0 reduced, 0 unchanged.
- Analysts: Hold (mean 3.33 on a 1–5 scale) (18 analysts), mean target USD 6.63 (range 6–8.5).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y -11.2% vs S&P 500 +14.9%; 5Y -49.6% vs S&P 500 +80.3%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-04, EPS estimate USD 0.34, revenue estimate $1.02B.

## Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters)
| USD | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | TTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $5.07B | $4.48B | $4.36B | $4.21B | $4.05B | $4.04B |
| Gross profit | $2.17B | $1.85B | $1.69B | $1.59B | $1.50B | — |
| Operating income | $1.12B | $885M | $818M | $726M | $757M | $642M |
| Net income | $806M | $911M | $626M | $934M | $500M | $395M |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.97 | $2.34 | $1.68 | $2.74 | $1.52 | — |
| Free cash flow | $1.01B | $550M | $760M | $369M | $505M | $565M |
| Gross margin | 42.9% | 41.3% | 38.7% | 37.8% | 37.0% | — |
| Operating margin | 22.1% | 19.8% | 18.8% | 17.2% | 18.7% | 15.9% |
| Net margin | 15.9% | 20.3% | 14.4% | 22.2% | 12.3% | 9.8% |
| Revenue growth | +4.9% | -11.7% | -2.6% | -3.4% | -3.8% | — |
| Cash + short-term investments | $1.21B | $1.29B | $1.27B | $1.47B | $1.23B | — |
| Total debt | $2.75B | $2.45B | $2.15B | $2.95B | $2.88B | — |
Fiscal years end Dec. EPS is split-adjusted.

## Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Jun 30, 2026)
P/E 5.1x · P/E ex non-operating (est.) ≈4.0x · P/S 0.5x · EV/EBITDA 5.3x · EV/Sales 0.9x · P/FCF 3.5x · P/B 2.2x · FCF yield 28.19% · Earnings yield 19.72% · Dividend yield (paid, TTM) 15.09% · Buyback yield (TTM) 7.10% · Net debt $1.59B · EV $3.60B
P/E at fiscal year-ends: Dec 2025 6.1x, Dec 2024 3.9x, Dec 2023 7.1x.

## Superinvestors (SEC 13F-HR, Q2 2026)
1 of 80 tracked investors hold WU. Each row is the investor's latest 13F; change is vs their prior-quarter share count.
| Investor | Firm | % of portfolio | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tweedy Browne |  | 0.16% | $2.1M | Added +57.1% |

## Analysts
Consensus Hold (mean 3.33 on a 1–5 scale), 18 analysts; mean target USD 6.63 (low 6, high 8.5).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-14 | JP Morgan | Target lowered | Underweight | $8 → $7 |
| 2026-09-29 | Cantor Fitzgerald | Target lowered | Underweight | $7 → $6 |
| 2026-08-03 | Citigroup | Target lowered | Neutral | $8.5 → $7 |
| 2026-08-03 | Cantor Fitzgerald | Target lowered | Underweight | $8 → $7 |
| 2026-07-31 | RBC Capital | Target lowered | Sector Perform | $9 → $8 |
| 2026-07-31 | Morgan Stanley | Target lowered | Underweight | $7 → $6 |
| 2026-07-31 | Susquehanna | Target lowered | Neutral | $10 → $8 |
| 2026-07-31 | Barclays | Target lowered | Underweight | $7 → $6 |
| 2026-07-22 | Cantor Fitzgerald | Target lowered | Underweight | $9 → $8 |
| 2026-07-17 | Citigroup | Target lowered | Neutral | $9.5 → $8.5 |
| 2026-07-13 | JP Morgan | Target lowered | Underweight | $9 → $8 |
| 2026-07-08 | Barclays | Initiated | Underweight | $7 |

## Total return (dividends reinvested)
|  | 1Y (from 2025-10-23) | 5Y (from 2021-10-18) |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | -11.2% | -49.6% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.9% | +80.3% |
| Per year | -11.3% | -12.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 38.7% | 30.7% |
| Max drawdown | -37.1% (Feb 2026→Sep 2026) | -53.9% (Feb 2022→Sep 2026) |

## Peers (Credit Services)
ECPG (Encore Capital Group Inc) USD 100.36 -3.65% · AGM (Federal Agricultural Mortgage C) USD 201.42 +0.98% · EZPW (EZCORP, Inc.) USD 29.35 -11.60% · UPST (Upstart Holdings, Inc.) USD 23.85 +0.80% · ATLC (Atlanticus Holdings Corporation) USD 91.53 -0.82% · JCAP (Jefferson Capital, Inc.) USD 20.69 -0.24%

## More
Full page: https://nexqual.com/WU · Free keyless MCP server with the same data and citations: https://mcp.nexqual.com/mcp · Guide for agents: https://nexqual.com/agents · https://nexqual.com/llms.txt

## Analyst estimates and revisions

| Period | EPS est. | 90d ago | Change | Revenue est. | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter (ends 2026-09-30) | $0.34 | $0.52 | -35.0% | $1.02B | 17 |
| Next quarter (ends 2026-12-31) | $0.36 | $0.53 | -31.0% | $1.03B | 15 |
| Current fiscal year (ends 2026-12-31) | $1.27 | $1.73 | -26.8% | $4.05B | 18 |
| Next fiscal year (ends 2027-12-31) | $1.50 | $1.89 | -20.8% | $4.33B | 18 |

## Options: expected move (Cboe, 15-min delayed)

Expected move by 2026-11-20 (includes earnings 2026-11-04): ±11.6%.

| Expiration | Days | ATM IV | Expected move |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-20 | 28 | 48.4% | ±11.6% |
| 2026-12-18 | 56 | 42.1% | ±13.9% |
| 2027-01-15 | 84 | 40.8% | ±15.1% |
| 2027-02-19 | 119 | 44.5% | ±20.1% |
| 2027-05-21 | 210 | 40.4% | ±24.0% |
| 2027-07-16 | 266 | 51.7% | ±26.2% |
| 2027-10-15 | 357 | 46.8% | ±33.5% |