JFrog stock rises as Cantor Fitzgerald maintains Overweight rating after strong Q2
Investing.com - Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has reiterated its Underweight rating and $7.00 price target on Western Union Co. (NYSE:WU), citing concerns about the payment company’s growth prospects. The company’s recent performance supports this cautious view, with revenue declining 3.79% over the last twelve months and 13 analysts recently revising earnings expectations downward, according to InvestingPro data.
The investment firm pointed to an increasingly negative political and macroeconomic environment for Western Union, specifically noting that immigrant deportations could pressure U.S. remittances sent abroad.
Morgan Stanley expects these headwinds to persist and compound existing competitive pressures, including challenges for Intermex’s North America-focused retail business.
The firm expressed skepticism about Western Union’s target for mid-single-digit EPS growth, suggesting the current political and competitive landscape introduces greater risk to achieving this goal.
Morgan Stanley maintained its relative Underweight rating, predicting Western Union will be a long-term underperformer in the payments sector due to both slower growth and more volatile end market exposures compared to payment peers.
In other recent news, Western Union has faced several analyst adjustments following its latest earnings report. The company reported second-quarter results with adjusted earnings per share of $0.42, which did not meet analyst expectations due to lower-than-expected revenue. This earnings miss was largely attributed to macroeconomic pressures, particularly those related to U.S. immigration policies affecting send volume. RBC Capital responded by lowering its price target for Western Union to $9.00, citing missed expectations on revenue and adjusted earnings per share. Similarly, UBS decreased its price target to $8.50, representing a 19% reduction from its previous target.
Susquehanna also adjusted its price target to $9.00, highlighting deteriorating macro migration trends as a factor, with revenues in North America and Latin America decreasing by 11% and 10% respectively, despite a 3% revenue increase in Europe. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) reduced its price target to $10.00, following the company’s second-quarter results and lowered earnings per share estimates for 2025 and 2026 due to weaker top-line growth expectations. JMP reiterated its Market Perform rating, noting the impact of macro challenges on the company’s performance. These developments reflect the ongoing challenges Western Union faces in navigating macroeconomic conditions.
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