Western Union (WU) closed at $9.83 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.03% move from the prior day. The stock exceeded the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.08% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.61%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.08%.
The money transfer company's shares have seen a decrease of 3.76% over the last month, not keeping up with the Business Services sector's loss of 3.27% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.16%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Western Union in its upcoming release. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $0.4, reflecting a 2.44% decrease from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $965.96 million, down 1.79% from the year-ago period.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $1.79 per share and revenue of $4.18 billion. These totals would mark changes of +2.29% and +3.22%, respectively, from last year.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.63% decrease. Western Union currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Western Union is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 5.45. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 10.77, so one might conclude that Western Union is trading at a discount comparatively.
Investors should also note that WU has a PEG ratio of 1.9 right now. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Financial Transaction Services industry held an average PEG ratio of 0.92.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 175, putting it in the bottom 29% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
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The Western Union Company (WU): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).