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. The Consumer Services segments offers bill payment services, which facilitate payments for consumers, businesses, and other organizations, as well as money order services, retail foreign exchange services, prepaid cards, lending partnerships, and digital wallets. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Western Union appears to be a mature business with a cheap valuation on earnings and cash flow, but with notable structural constraints in balance sheet quality and profitability. P/E of 5.82, P/S of 0.57, and P/FCF of 4.75 are significantly below the industry median, which suggests low market expectations and partially supports the investment case. At the same time, P/B of 2.17 is above the industry median, while debt/equity of 2.95 is extremely high relative to the sector, increasing the risk of overestimating balance sheet resilience. Return on capital looks strong: ROE of 42.71% and ROA of 5.48% are significantly above the median, but the yearly trend is deteriorating, especially ROE, which was even higher previously. Operating efficiency is also declining: net profit margin of 10.89%, operating margin of 17.36%, and gross margin of 35.10% are below industry benchmarks and generally weaker than in prior periods. Absolute profitability remains positive, but net income of $77 million and operating income of $132 million are notably below previous quarterly levels, indicating pressure on operating leverage. Revenue is holding around $1.0 billion and appears relatively stable, but without clear growth, so it is more a factor of resilience than a driver of revaluation. The liquidity picture is mixed: a current ratio of 1.11 is acceptable, but the quick ratio is zero, which for an investor means very limited immediate liquidity. Long-term debt of $2.70 billion and total liabilities of $7.05 billion remain high, limiting room for aggressive valuation upside. Dividend yield is currently absent, whereas it previously stood at around 2.2–2.9%, which worsens the investment profile for income-oriented portfolios. Overall, the fundamentals support a moderately cautious view: the stock looks inexpensive on earnings and FCF, but weak margin dynamics, high leverage, and the absence of a dividend do not justify an aggressive increase in the target valuation. For an investor, this is not a strong growth story, but rather one of limited upside with elevated balance sheet risks and a need to monitor margin recovery and cash generation.

Western Union Company (The)

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок не поддерживает быков.

Strong index, flat. The market does not support the bulls.

Средний индекс, незначительно вырос. Отток средств из лонгов на высоком уровне.

Medium index, slightly up. Outflow of funds from longs at a high level.

WU looks inexpensive on earnings and FCF, but weak margins, high debt, and the lack of a dividend limit re-rating potential.

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – September 9, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Seagate Technology STX as the Bull of the Day and Western Union WU as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Tesla TSLA, BYD Company Limited BYDDY and Geely Automobile Holdings Limited GELHY.
Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:
Amid the mad dash to build bigger and more advanced data centers to power the AI boom, a wide range of technology companies have enjoyed enormous tailwinds. But few areas have benefited as dramatically as memory and data storage.
Stocks such as Micron Technology, Sandisk and SK Hynix have posted extraordinary gains as demand for supply-constrained high-bandwidth memory, DDR RAM, NAND flash and enterprise SSDs has surged to unprecedented levels.
One company tied closely to this boom, Seagate Technology, stands out today thanks to rapidly rising earnings estimates, favorable industry positioning and a compelling technical setup.
If you've been following my commentary over the last couple of months, you know I had become skeptical about the durability of the memory rally. Positioning and sentiment had grown increasingly stretched, and the group eventually corrected sharply as some of that excess was worked off.
I am now becoming more constructive again.
The underlying fundamentals remain exceptionally strong, earnings expectations continue to rise, and the recent period of consolidation has reset some of the excessive positioning that concerned me earlier. With those conditions improving, Seagate Technology and the broader memory and storage complex appear increasingly well positioned for another leg higher.
Seagate Technology's Role in the Memory Boom
Seagate plays a different role in the AI infrastructure boom than Micron, Sandisk, SK Hynix and Samsung. While those companies supply high-speed memory and flash storage, Seagate provides the mass-capacity hard drives that form the storage backbone of many large data centers.
AI workloads require enormous amounts of data to be collected, stored and accessed, both before models are trained and as they generate increasing volumes of new content. For hyperscalers storing data at petabyte and exabyte scale, Seagate's enterprise hard drives offer significantly lower costs per terabyte than high-performance flash.
That makes Seagate a complementary beneficiary of the same AI buildout. As spending on compute, memory and data-center infrastructure continues to surge, the amount of data requiring economical long-term storage is growing alongside it.
Seagate Stock Gets Upgraded
Despite its tremendous rally, Seagate's valuation remains reasonable relative to its earnings growth. Shares trade at 23.5x forward earnings, roughly in line with the stock's historical median.
Sales are expected to climb 55% this year and another 36% next year, while earnings are forecast to surge 132% and 61.5%, respectively.
More importantly, those estimates continue to move higher. Analyst forecasts have risen between 18% and 31% across key timeframes, with upward revisions broadly unanimous. That momentum has earned STX a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
With estimates still moving higher even after the stock's strong run, the earnings story appears to be keeping pace with the share-price gains.
Seagate Technology Stock Nears Breakout
After peaking in mid-June, STX shares have spent the last several months consolidating in a volatile but largely sideways pattern. Now, the stock appears to be either breaking out or approaching a breakout from that range.
Technical levels are never exact and will vary depending on how resistance is drawn, but the broader signal looks increasingly clear: momentum is turning higher again. That strength is also showing up across the broader memory and storage complex, adding support to the bullish setup.
Should Investors Buy Shares in STX?
Seagate offers investors a compelling combination of AI-driven demand, rapidly rising earnings estimates and a technical setup that appears ready to resolve higher.
The stock has already had a tremendous run, so volatility should be expected. But with earnings growth still accelerating, estimates moving higher and valuation remaining near historical norms, the fundamental story continues to support the price action.
For investors looking for continued exposure to the AI infrastructure and memory boom, STX remains one of the more attractive names in the group.
Some businesses get disrupted quickly. Others decline slowly as competitive pressures build and the underlying economics gradually deteriorate. Western Union has increasingly fallen into the latter category.
The legacy money-transfer business has been under pressure for years as digital-first competitors such as Wise and Remitly offer faster and cheaper alternatives, while banks and fintech platforms increasingly absorb transactions that once flowed through Western Union's physical agent network.
Those structural pressures have become more acute this year. Tighter US immigration policy is weighing on one of Western Union's most important customer bases, while a new federal tax on cash-funded remittances adds another headwind to its highest-margin channel.
The result has been another deterioration in the earnings outlook, sending estimates sharply lower and pushing WU to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Western Union's Core Business Remains Under Pressure
Western Union still generates much of its business by moving cash across borders through its global retail network. But that model is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
Digital remittance providers continue to take share, while Western Union's traditional customer base is facing additional pressure from reduced migration into the United States. Management acknowledged on its most recentearnings callthat new migration is critical to replenishing retail customers as existing users eventually return home or migrate toward digital alternatives.
That pressure is already showing up in the numbers. US-to-Mexico transactions declined more than 3% during the quarter, while the broader retail business continues to struggle with organic growth.
Western Union's acquisition of Intermex should provide some revenue support, but buying additional volume does not change the structural challenges facing the legacy business.
Western Union Stock Gets Downgraded
The earnings revision trend is decisively negative.
Over the last 60 days, analysts have unanimously lowered their estimates across timeframes, with no upward revisions. Current year earnings estimates have fallen from $1.75 per share to $1.29, a decline of roughly 26%, while next year's estimate has dropped about 18%.
Near-term expectations have fallen even faster. The current quarter estimate has been cut roughly 34%, while the next quarter forecast has also moved sharply lower.
That revision trend has earned Western Union a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) and suggests the earnings outlook may still be deteriorating.
At around 5.6x forward earnings, WU certainly looks cheap. The stock also carries a dividend yield above 13%.
But both figures require some caution. A low earnings multiple becomes less attractive when the earnings denominator continues to fall, while such an unusually high dividend yield signals that investors are increasingly questioning the sustainability of the payout.
Should Investors Avoid WU Stock?
Western Union may look tempting to value investors after its steep decline, but the fundamental setup remains difficult.
The company's core business continues to face digital disruption, immigration policy has created an additional headwind, and earnings estimates are being revised sharply lower across the board. Meanwhile, the Intermex acquisition has yet to prove that it can offset the deterioration in the legacy business.
There will eventually be a price where Western Union becomes interesting again, particularly if estimates stabilize and the company's digital businesses begin offsetting the decline in retail transfers.
For now, however, the combination of weakening fundamentals, falling earnings expectations and a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) suggests investors should remain on the sidelines.
Additional content:
Can Tesla Overcome Mixed August Registration Trends Across Europe?
Tesla's August vehicle registrations across key European markets delivered a mixed performance, with sharp increases in France and Denmark offset by steep declines in Norway, Spain, Sweden, Portugal and Italy.
New Tesla registrations, which are generally used as an indicator of sales, jumped 279% year over year in France and 104% in Denmark, per the data from France's PFA and Denmark's bilstatistik.dk.
However, registrations plunged 79% in both Norway and Spain, while Sweden, Portugal and Italy recorded declines of 41%, 37% and 36%, respectively, per the data from national automotive industry organizations OFV, Mobility Sweden, ANFAC and ACAP, and Italy's Transport Ministry.
In Norway, the steep decline may partly reflect a difficult comparison with last year, when buyers accelerated purchases ahead of a fiscal policy change scheduled for the end of 2025, per the European auto market analyst Matthias Schmidt.
Tesla's European sales have generally recovered this year following two consecutive years of declines. The improvement has been supported by easier year-over-year comparisons, higher fuel prices, government incentives and increasing consumer interest in electric vehicles. Registration data from the United Kingdom and Germany, Europe's two largest auto markets, is expected later this week. TSLA carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) at present.
You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Global Sales Data of Other Automakers
BYD Company Limited reported strong growth in August, selling 440,293 new energy vehicles (NEVs), up 17.8% year over year and 5.03% from July. The figure marked BYD's highest monthly sales total of the year and extended its recovery with a fourth consecutive year-over-year increase. Passenger NEV sales rose 16.7% year over year to 433,384 units, while BYD's commercial NEV sales jumped 225.1% to 6,909 units, despite declining from July.
Geely Automobile Holdings Limited also recorded another increase in monthly sales, with August deliveries reaching 270,194 vehicles, which increased 8.01% year over year and marked its strongest monthly performance this year. Geely's overseas shipments were particularly strong, surging 205.2% to 110,094 vehicles. Exports hit a record for the eighth consecutive month and represented about 41% of Geely's total sales, helping offset continued weakness in its domestic market.
Tesla's Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Tesla has underperformed the Zacks Automotive – Domestic industry in the last six months. Tesla has lost 11.2% compared with the industry's decline of 5.8%.
From a valuation perspective, Tesla appears overvalued. Going by its price/sales ratio, the company is trading at a forward sales multiple of 12.24, higher than the industry's 3.24.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved down 31 cents and 26 cents, respectively, in the past 60 days.
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Seagate Technology and Western Union have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

In the latest trading session, Western Union (WU) closed at $7.00, marking a -2.51% move from the previous day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.58%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 1.18%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.32%.
The money transfer company's stock has climbed by 2.13% in the past month, exceeding the Business Services sector's loss of 1.01% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.36%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Western Union in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect Western Union to post earnings of $0.35 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 25.53%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $1.05 billion, up 1.6% from the year-ago period.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $1.29 per share and revenue of $4.13 billion. These totals would mark changes of -26.29% and +2.04%, respectively, from last year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union should also be noted by investors. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.01% decrease. Western Union presently features a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
From a valuation perspective, Western Union is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 5.56. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 13.56 of its industry.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 184, positioning it in the bottom 26% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.
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Western Union (WU) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors

SoFi Technologies SOFI has partnered with Payward, the parent company behind Kraken, to connect banking with digital-asset markets. Payward will use SoFi’s Big Business Banking capabilities, join the SoFi Exchange Network (“SEN”) and list the SoFiUSD stablecoin on Kraken. SoFi will also use Kraken Prime as a source of digital-asset liquidity.
The tie-up gives Payward and Kraken’s institutional clients access to SEN for 24/7 U.S. dollar clearing, settlement and liquidity management. SoFiUSD, which is redeemable one-for-one for U.S. dollars, will gain broader distribution through Kraken, while Kraken Prime is expected to support better pricing for SoFi members’ crypto trades. Qualified custody capabilities are also expected to become available as the relationship develops.
The agreement builds on SoFi’s push into blockchain-based services. In the fourth quarter of 2025, SoFi launched consumer crypto trading, SoFi Pay and SoFiUSD. SoFi Pay allows members to send money across more than 30 countries, while SoFiUSD is backed by cash held at the Federal Reserve.
That infrastructure expanded further in 2026. SoFi’s Big Business Banking began processing transactions on SEN, allowing commercial clients to move money in real time, 24/7. The company said roughly $300 million of SoFiUSD was in circulation in the second quarter of 2026, while its crypto trading business had begun settling transactions in SoFiUSD.
Adoption provides further support. As of June 30, 2026, SoFi reported 388,336 crypto products after returning to crypto investing in the fourth quarter of 2025. In the second quarter of 2026, net crypto transaction revenues reached $1.18 million, while total Financial Services products rose 43% year over year to 21.3 million.
How Are Competitors Faring?
JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM is increasingly linking traditional banking with tokenized markets. In May 2026, its Kinexys platform joined Ripple, Mastercard and Ondo Finance in a cross-border tokenized Treasury redemption, connecting blockchain-based asset redemption with bank settlement outside normal banking hours. JPM is also expanding tokenized deposits and money-market infrastructure.
Western Union WU is expanding stablecoin-based financial infrastructure. In May 2026, it launched USDPT, issued by Anchorage Digital Bank on Solana and followed up with a Bybit integration in June and a Rain partnership in August. Its USDPT-backed Stablecard launched across 37 markets, supporting wallet, transfer and Visa spending functions.
SOFI’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of SOFI have gained 15.4% in the past three months, outperforming the broader industry while underperforming the S&P 500 Index.
From a valuation standpoint, SOFI trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.81X, well above the industry’s 17.06X. It carries a Value Score of F.
SOFI’s estimate revisions reflect a favorable trend for full-year 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2026 EPS gained a cent to 60 cents over the past two months.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
SOFI stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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SoFi Technologies Teams Up With Payward: Will SoFiUSD Gain Traction?

Western Union (WU) ended the recent trading session at $11.14, demonstrating a -0.45% swing from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.39%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.61%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.32%.
Heading into today, shares of the money transfer company had gained 3.04% over the past month, outpacing the Business Services sector's gain of 3% and lagging the S&P 500's gain of 3.6% in that time.
The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Western Union in its upcoming release. In that report, analysts expect Western Union to post earnings of $0.42 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 13.51%. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $1.03 billion, indicating a 2.48% decline compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.77 per share and a revenue of $4.18 billion, representing changes of +1.72% and -4.11%, respectively, from the prior year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Western Union should also be noted by investors. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged. Western Union is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Western Union is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 6.33. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 16.01 for its industry.
We can also see that WU currently has a PEG ratio of 1.57. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. Financial Transaction Services stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.32 based on yesterday's closing prices.
The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 77, finds itself in the top 31% echelons 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.
Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.
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Western Union (WU) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

The Western Union Company WU is widening its retail presence through an expanded partnership with Total Wireless, bringing money transfers, bill payments and money order services to Total Wireless stores across the United States. The rollout, which begins in select locations and is expected to expand to additional locations across the country by the end of 2026, gives WU access to a wider customer base while increasing the visibility of its financial services in everyday retail settings.
The partnership aligns with Western Union’s strategy of combining digital capabilities with physical distribution. While customers can already access the company's services through its website and mobile app, adding transactions to Total Wireless stores strengthens its omnichannel model. Eligible customers on select Total Wireless plans will continue to receive one Western Union transfer-fee waiver each month, adding another touchpoint for customer engagement.
The timing is notable as WU’s second-quarter 2026 results showed mixed trends across its businesses. Branded Digital revenues increased 7% year over year on a GAAP basis, while transactions jumped 25%. Consumer Services revenues also grew 4% year over year on a GAAP basis.
As competition intensifies from digital-first fintech firms and payment platforms, partnerships like this might help WU defend market share while driving transaction volumes. Expanding into nontraditional retail channels could support customer acquisition, deepen engagement and reinforce WU’s role as a trusted provider of everyday financial services.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of WU’s competitors in the payments space include Mastercard Incorporated MA and Visa Inc. V.
Mastercard is expanding beyond cards through Mastercard Move, which supports transfers across accounts, cards and wallets. The platform is broadening its reach through new payment corridors and endpoints, while MA’s switched transactions increased 9% year over year in the second quarter of 2026.
Visa is gaining traction in money movement through Visa Direct, with Visa Direct transactions rising 21% year over year in the third-quarter of fiscal 2026. Its expanding payout, cross-border and account-to-account capabilities position V to capture a larger share of the global money-movement opportunity.
Western Union’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of WU have fallen 13.1% over the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 13.5%.
From a valuation standpoint, Western Union trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 4.97X, significantly down from the industry average of 18.79X. WU carries a Value Score of A.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Western Union’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.29 per share, implying a 26.3% decline from the year-ago period.
WU currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
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Visa Inc. (V) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Can Total Wireless Help Western Union Deepen U.S. Retail Reach?

Key Points
Kraft Heinz, Western Union, and Nike are all facing challenges that may not be easy to fix.
The financial results for these companies may worsen in the next few years.
Cutting the dividend may be necessary for them to strengthen their respective financial positions and better position themselves for growth.
News of a dividend cut is not something any investor wants to hear. The stock can plummet afterward, and the dividend income will be a fraction of what it was before. If a company deploys a cut, it'll want to be confident it gets it right to avoid having to do so again in the near future. That's why cuts normally are steep and aren't just modest reductions. They happen when things have gone incredibly badly for their respective businesses.
That also means, however, that investors may be able to spot warning signs in advance. There are three dividend stocks that I believe may be headed for trouble, and which I predict will slash their payouts within the next three years: Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC), Western Union (NYSE: WU), and Nike (NYSE: NKE). Here's why I think the writing is on the wall for these stocks and their payouts.
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Kraft Heinz
Kraft and Heinz may be iconic food brands, but the business that owns them just hasn't been doing that well. Revenue declined last year, as it did the year before. There are question marks about its future growth, and it recently contemplated breaking up its business, only to end up halting those plans after reports that Berkshire Hathaway, a major shareholder, was reportedly contemplating dumping the stock -- perhaps due to the possible split.
There are clear challenges for Kraft, and while its new CEO, Steve Cahillane, believes the issues are fixable, investors should tread cautiously. If Kraft is unable to return to growth and improve its financial performance, it may only be a matter of time before a dividend cut occurs.
Kraft cut its dividend in 2019, but even now, with profits shrinking and so many question marks hanging over the business, the current payout might not last much longer. I'd be surprised if the food company doesn't slash the dividend again in the near future.
Western Union
In some cases, just looking at the size of a yield can make it fairly obvious that there's trouble brewing. Financial services company Western Union pays a dividend that yields more than 13%. If the market thought that the payout was sustainable, it might be the hottest dividend stock to own. Instead, it's down 25% this year and by nearly 70% over a five-year period.
In its most recent quarter, which ended on June 30, Western Union's revenue was down just 1%, but its operating income declined a mammoth 31%. Remarkably, despite its struggles and such a high yield, the stock's payout ratio is only around 76%.
However, with further earnings deterioration potentially on the horizon, the ratio is likely to rise higher. Between rising competition and adverse macroeconomic and trade issues affecting its business, it's difficult to see a path for things to improve for Western Union anytime soon. While the payout is sustainable for now, a dividend cut may be inevitable down the road.
Nike
Apparel giant Nike is facing some challenging market conditions. It's in the midst of a turnaround, and its dividend may be a necessary casualty as the business looks to strengthen its growth prospects. Generating any sort of sales growth has been a challenge.
In the company's most recent fiscal year, which ended on May 31, revenue was flat, and net income declined by 3%, and those numbers would have been even worse if not for tariff refunds.
Nike's been in bad shape for a while, with its stock down more than 75% over the past five years. As a result of the decline, the stock's yield has risen to nearly 4%, which may not seem unsustainable, but that's far higher than normal. The company hasn't shown enough progress in its turnaround to prove it's on the right path. Meanwhile, its free cash flow over the trailing 12 months has totaled $2.2 billion -- less than the $2.4 billion it's paid out in dividends.
Unless things improve drastically for Nike within the next three years, I fully expect it to cut its dividend.
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David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Nike. The Motley Fool recommends Kraft Heinz. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Prediction: 3 Dividend Stocks That Will Cut Their Payouts Within the Next 3 Years

The board of directors of Kimberly-Clark has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $1.28 per share. The dividend is payable in cash on October 2, 2026, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 4, 2026. Kimberly-Clark has paid a dividend for 92 consecutive years and has increased its dividend for 54 consecutive years.
The Board of Directors of Westlake Chemical Partners has declared a distribution of $0.4714 per unit. This is the 48th quarterly distribution announced by the Partnership since its initial public offering. The distribution will be payable on August 28, 2026, to unit holders of record on August 13, 2026.
The Board of Directors of Eagle Materials has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share, payable on October 13, 2026, to stockholders of record of its Common Stock at the close of business on September 14, 2026.
Robert Half announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.59 per share on the company's common stock. The dividend is payable on September 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 25, 2026.
Western Union announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share, payable September 30, 2026, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 16, 2026.
Northern Oil and Gas announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend on the Company's common stock. NOG's Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend in the amount of $0.45 per share, representing an equal amount to the prior quarterly dividend. The dividend is payable on October 30, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 29, 2026.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Daily Dividend Report: KMB,WLKP,EXP,RHI,WU,NOG

The Western Union Company WU reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 31 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 27.9%. The bottom line declined 26.2% year over year.
Total revenues were $1.01 billion, which declined 1.3% from the prior-year period's level. However, the top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.6%.
Lower revenues and higher expenses in the Consumer Money Transfer (“CMT”) retail business, lower margins in the Consumer Services business, and increased operating expenses weighed on second-quarter earnings. These headwinds were partly offset by growth in the Consumer Services and Branded Digital businesses, driven by higher bill payment revenues and growth in the Travel Money business.
The Western Union Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Q2 Performance of WU
Adjusted operating margin fell 400 bps to 15%, caused by lower revenues and higher expenses in the CMT retail business, lower margins in the Consumer Services business, and higher operating expenses.
Total expenses rose 5.7% year over year to $881.1 million. The year-over-year increase resulted from higher cost of services and SG&A expenses.
Operating income of $132.1 million declined 31% year over year and lagged our estimate of $175.3 million.
Segment Analysis of WU
The Consumer Money Transfer segment recorded revenues of $866.1 million, which slipped 2% year over year. The figure exceeded both the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $852.2 million and our model estimates of $844.1 million. Operating income declined 25% year over year to $125.7 million. The metric missed the consensus mark of $145.5 million and our estimate of $146.8 million. The operating income margin declined 400 bps year over year to 15%.
Transactions in the CMT segment grew 3% year over year. Excluding Iraq, adjusted revenues declined 4% year over year. Branded Digital transactions increased 25% year over year. Branded Digital revenues, which accounted for 32% of CMT's second-quarter revenues, rose 7% on a reported basis and 6% on an adjusted basis.
The Consumer Services segment’s revenues rose 4% year over year on a reported basis and 12% on an adjusted basis, reaching $147.1 million in the quarter. This growth was driven by the expansion of the Travel Money business and increased revenues from the bill payment segment. The metric missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $154.7 million.
Operating income totaled $23.3 million, which decreased 26% year over year. The metric missed the consensus mark as well as our estimate. The operating income margin declined 600 bps year over year to 16%.
WU’s Q2 Financial Position
Western Union exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $919.8 million, which decreased from the 2025-end level of $1.2 billion. Total assets of $8 billion declined from $8.3 billion as of 2025-end.
Borrowings totaled $2.7 billion, down from $2.9 billion as of 2025-end.
Total stockholders’ equity declined to $914.7 million from $957.8 million at the end of 2025.
WU generated net cash from operations of $213.9 million in the first six months of 2026, up from $147.9 million in the year-ago period.
Western Union’s Capital Deployment
Western Union returned $73.3 million to shareholders through dividends in the second quarter of 2026. During the first six months of 2026, the company repurchased $53.7 million of its common stock. As of June 30, 2026, $721.6 million remained available under its share repurchase authorization.
WU’s 2026 View
The company now expects adjusted revenue growth of 4-6%, down from the previous guidance of 6-9%.
Adjusted EPS guidance was lowered to $1.25-$1.35 from the earlier projection of $1.75-$1.85. The midpoint of the revised guidance implies a 25.7% decline from the 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.75.
The company also expects an adjusted effective tax rate of 13-15% and a GAAP effective tax rate of 20-22%.
In the second quarter, Western Union did not provide GAAP EPS guidance, citing the inability to reliably estimate certain reconciling items. Previously, the company had projected GAAP EPS in the range of $1.50-$1.60, the midpoint of which implied approximately 2% growth from the 2025 GAAP EPS of $1.52.
WU’s Zacks Rank
WU currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
How Did WU’s Peers Perform?
Several companies in the business services space, including Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. MRSH, Visa Inc.V and Mastercard Incorporated MA, have reported their financial results for the June quarter of 2026. Here’s how they have performed:
MRSH reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $2.96, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%. The bottom line advanced 8.8% year over year. Consolidated revenues of $7.4 billion improved 6.2% year over year. The figure rose 5% on an underlying basis. The top line beat the consensus mark by 2%. Marsh’s quarterly results benefited from solid growth in the Risk and Insurance Services and Consulting units. However, the upside was partially offset by elevated operating expenses, primarily due to increased compensation and benefits.
Visa delivered third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.32 per share, which rose 11% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8%. Net revenues were $11.63 billion, rising 14% year over year. Visa’s quarterly results reflected resilient spending trends, higher cross-border volumes and solid network activity, including a 10% year-over-year increase in payments volume on a constant-dollar basis. However, the upside was partly offset by increased operating expenses.
Mastercard reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $5.04 per share, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.7%. The bottom line improved 21.4% year over year. Net revenues advanced 14.1% year over year to $9.3 billion. The top line beat the consensus mark by 2.4%. Mastercard’s quarterly results benefited from strong cross-border volume growth, increased switched transactions and robust demand for value-added services. However, the upside was partly offset by higher payment network rebates from renewed deals and an escalating operating expense level.
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Western Union Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates on CMT Retail Weakness

Western Union (WU) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.31 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.43 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.42 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -27.91%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this money transfer company would post earnings of $0.4 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.25, delivering a surprise of -37.5%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
Western Union, which belongs to the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry, posted revenues of $1.01 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.59%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.03 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Western Union shares have lost about 13.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 6.9%.
What's Next for Western Union?
While Western Union has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Western Union was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.52 on $1.08 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.74 on $4.18 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial Transaction Services is currently in the bottom 40% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, RB Global (RBA), has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 4.
This heavy equipment auctioneer is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.09 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +1.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.1% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.
RB Global's revenues are expected to be $1.25 billion, up 5.3% from the year-ago quarter.
Should You Invest in The Western Union Company (WU)?
Before you invest in The Western Union Company (WU), want to know the best stocks to buy for the next 30 days? Check out Zacks Investment Research for our free report on the 7 best stocks to buy.
Zacks Investment Research has been committed to providing investors with tools and independent research since 1978. For more than a quarter century, the Zacks Rank stock-rating system has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +24.08% per year. (These returns cover a period from January 1, 1988 through May 6, 2024.)
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The Western Union Company (WU) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Western Union (WU) Lags Q2 Earnings Estimates

Western Union (WU) reported $1.01 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 1.3%. EPS of $0.31 for the same period compares to $0.42 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 billion, representing a surprise of +0.59%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -27.91%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.43.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Western Union performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Consumer Money Transfer transactions - Total: 73.5 million compared to the 72.29 million average estimate based on four analysts.
Consumer Money Transfer - Cross-border principal: 27.2 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of 27.29 billion.
Revenue- Consumer Services: $147.1 million versus $154.74 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.3% change.
Revenue- Consumer Money Transfer: $866.1 million compared to the $852.19 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of -2.1% year over year.
Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Services: $23.3 million versus $40.82 million estimated by two analysts on average.
Segment Operating Income (Loss)- Consumer Money Transfer: $125.7 million versus $145.48 million estimated by two analysts on average.
Shares of Western Union have returned +3.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
See Stocks Now >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.