We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Should Value Investors Pick Western Union (WU) Stock Now?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put The Western Union Company (WU - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Western Union has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 13.17, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 23.60. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Western Union’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 33.54. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Western Union has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 12.64, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for The Western Union stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Western Union has a P/S ratio of about 1.90. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 4.18 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
As we can see, the stock is trading near its median value for the time period from a P/S metric. This does not provide us with a conclusive direction as to the relative valuation of the stock in comparison to its historical trend.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Western Union currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Western Union a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Western Union is just 0.49, a level that is far lower than the industry average of 1.50. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Additionally, its P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 9.47, which is far better than the industry average of 14.65. Clearly, WU is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Western Union might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of B and a Momentum score of B. This gives WU a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been encouraging. The current quarter has seen five estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has seen six upward and zero downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 9.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased 6.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Even though Western Union has a better estimates trend, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Western Union is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. With a solid industry rank (among the Top 26%), the company looks like a strong value contender. In fact, over the past two years, the industry has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
So, despite a Zacks Rank #3, we believe that bullish analyst sentiment and favorable industry factors make this stock a compelling value pick.
Zacks’ Single Best Pick to Double
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each picked their favorite to gain +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Zacks Director of Research, Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
With users in 180 countries and soaring revenues, it’s set to thrive on remote working long after the pandemic ends. No wonder it recently offered a stunning $600 million stock buy-back plan.
The sky’s the limit for this emerging tech giant. And the earlier you get in, the greater your potential gain.
Image: Bigstock
Should Value Investors Pick Western Union (WU) Stock Now?
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put The Western Union Company (WU - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Western Union has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 13.17, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 23.60. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Western Union’s current PE level puts it above its midpoint over the past five years.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 33.54. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Western Union has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 12.64, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for The Western Union stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Western Union has a P/S ratio of about 1.90. This is significantly lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 4.18 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
As we can see, the stock is trading near its median value for the time period from a P/S metric. This does not provide us with a conclusive direction as to the relative valuation of the stock in comparison to its historical trend.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Western Union currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Western Union a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Western Union is just 0.49, a level that is far lower than the industry average of 1.50. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Additionally, its P/CF ratio (another great indicator of value) comes in at 9.47, which is far better than the industry average of 14.65. Clearly, WU is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Western Union might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of B and a Momentum score of B. This gives WU a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been encouraging. The current quarter has seen five estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has seen six upward and zero downward revisions in the same time period.
As a result, the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 9.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased 6.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
The Western Union Company Price and Consensus
The Western Union Company price-consensus-chart | The Western Union Company Quote
Even though Western Union has a better estimates trend, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Western Union is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. With a solid industry rank (among the Top 26%), the company looks like a strong value contender. In fact, over the past two years, the industry has clearly outperformed the broader market, as you can see below:
So, despite a Zacks Rank #3, we believe that bullish analyst sentiment and favorable industry factors make this stock a compelling value pick.
Zacks’ Single Best Pick to Double
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each picked their favorite to gain +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Zacks Director of Research, Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
With users in 180 countries and soaring revenues, it’s set to thrive on remote working long after the pandemic ends. No wonder it recently offered a stunning $600 million stock buy-back plan.
The sky’s the limit for this emerging tech giant. And the earlier you get in, the greater your potential gain.
Click Here, See It Free >>