TSP Capital Management Group LLC Sells 63,964 Shares of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU)

TSP Capital Management Group LLC cut its holdings in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) by 12.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 455,323 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 63,964 shares during the period. Western Union accounts for approximately 1.6% of TSP Capital Management Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. TSP Capital Management Group LLC owned 0.13% of Western Union worth $4,826,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WU. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in Western Union during the third quarter worth about $25,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Western Union during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky acquired a new stake in Western Union during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its holdings in Western Union by 1,734.7% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,862 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 4,597 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Western Union during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $53,000. 91.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WU has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Western Union from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 9th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Western Union from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Western Union in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Western Union from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their price objective on Western Union from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.11.

Western Union Stock Performance

WU stock opened at $10.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $10.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.20. The Western Union Company has a fifty-two week low of $10.04 and a fifty-two week high of $14.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.50 billion, a PE ratio of 3.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.85.

Western Union (NYSE:WU) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share 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%. Analysts forecast that The Western Union Company will post 1.8 EPS for the current year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.06%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Western Union’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.43%.

Western Union announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Friday, December 13th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the credit services provider to reacquire up to 27.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Western Union Company 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.