Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Western Union to Put Money on Technology for Global Growth

Read MoreHide Full Article

The Western Union Company’s (WU - Free Report) digital segment Western Union Digital recently announced its plan to ramp up digital expansion around the globe. The company intends to grow in more than 200 countries and territories with complete focus on the mobile channel that helps the company generate nearly 70% of its digital transactions.

Western Union Digital is the fastest growing business of the parent company, providing 24/7 digital services across prime regional economic hubs of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East to billions of consumer bank accounts.

The company already has its digital existence in Hong Kong and is now ready to commence services in Malaysia and Singapore in Asia within a few weeks. Additionally, the company is alive and kicking/operational across the Latin American countries, namely Brazil, Jamaica and Panama with Mexico ready to follow suit. Whereas in the Middle East, the company is strongly present in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman with United Arab Emirates to soon join the brigade. The company also boasts a significant footprint across North America apart from major parts of Europe plus Australia and New Zealand. Notably, Western Union Digital has adequate expertise in this field including a vast global network and treasury as well as compliance infrastructure, empowering it to form a sophisticated cross-border, cross-currency platform.

Recently, one of its peers, MoneyGram International, Inc. , launched its online platform in Ireland, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark as part of its global expansion strategy. With this, users are able to send money to above two billion bank accounts and mobile wallets or to any MoneyGram location across more than 200 countries and territories.

Other companies such as Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) have also made investments this year in boosting their global digital reach. Accelerating the digital payments segment is extremely important for these companies as technological innovations and changing preferences for payments makes digital payments a preferred and most sought after way.

More and more consumers are opting for digital payments, given its ease, security, flexibility, convenience thereby increasing demand for digital payments services.

Western Union has been witnessing rising revenues from the digital platform over the past many quarters. Its progress in global digital initiatives is further expected to drive revenues going forward.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost nearly 0.2% in a year’s time against its industry’s growth of 36.2%.



Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the miscellaneous services industry might take a look Euronet Worldwide, Inc. (EEFT - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).  You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Euronet provides payment and transaction processing and distribution solutions to financial institutions, retailers, service providers and individual consumers worldwide. The company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). It came up with an average four-quarter positive surprise of 0.38%.

Best Electric Car Stock? You'll Never Guess It.

Zacks Research has released a report that may shock many investors. One stock stands out as the best way to invest in the surge to electric cars. And it's not the one you may think!

Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium battery power is set to shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, revenues that were already at $31 billion in 2016 are expected to blast to over $67 billion by the end of 2022.


See Zacks Best EV Stock Free >>

Published in