Western Union Bonds

WU Stock  USD 13.71  0.04  0.29%   
Western Union has over 2.5 Billion in debt which may indicate that it relies heavily on debt financing. At this time, Western Union's Short and Long Term Debt Total is comparatively stable compared to the past year. Net Debt is likely to gain to about 1.8 B in 2024, whereas Long Term Debt To Capitalization is likely to drop 0.69 in 2024. Western Union's financial risk is the risk to Western Union stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt. In other words, with a high degree of financial leverage come high-interest payments, which usually reduce Earnings Per Share (EPS).

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Western Union's liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Western Union's cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Western Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Western Union's stakeholders.
For most companies, including Western Union, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for the executing running Western Union Co the most critical issue when dealing with liquidity needs is whether the current assets are properly aligned with its current liabilities. If not, management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure that there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet in reserve to pay for obligations.
Price Book
9.7658
Book Value
1.367
Operating Margin
0.1609
Profit Margin
0.1437
Return On Assets
0.0634
At this time, Western Union's Short and Long Term Debt Total is comparatively stable compared to the past year. Net Debt is likely to gain to about 1.8 B in 2024, whereas Long Term Debt To Capitalization is likely to drop 0.69 in 2024.
  
Check out the analysis of Western Union Fundamentals Over Time.

Western Union Bond Ratings

Western Union Co bond ratings play a critical role in determining how much Western Union have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for Western Union's borrowing costs.
Piotroski F Score
6  Healthy
Beneish M Score

Western Union Debt to Cash Allocation

As Western Union Co follows its natural business cycle, the capital allocation decisions will not magically go away. Western Union's decision-makers have to determine if most of the cash flows will be poured back into or reinvested in the business, reserved for other projects beyond operational needs, or paid back to stakeholders and investors. Many companies eventually find out that there is only so much market out there to be conquered, and adding the next product or service is only half as profitable per unit as their current endeavors. Eventually, the company will reach a point where cash flows are strong, and extra cash is available but not fully utilized. In this case, the company may start buying back its stock from the public or issue more dividends.
The company reports 2.5 B of total liabilities with total debt to equity ratio (D/E) of 4.94, which implies that the company may not be able to produce enough cash to satisfy its debt commitments. Western Union has a current ratio of 0.44, implying that it has not enough working capital to pay out debt commitments in time. Debt can assist Western Union until it has trouble settling it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. So, Western Union's shareholders could walk away with nothing if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt. However, a more frequent occurrence is when companies like Western Union sell additional shares at bargain prices, diluting existing shareholders. Debt, in this case, can be an excellent and much better tool for Western to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about Western Union's use of debt, we should always consider it together with cash and equity.

Western Union Total Assets Over Time

Western Union Assets Financed by Debt

Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Western Union's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Western Union, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility. Like all other financial ratios, a a Western Union debt ratio should be compared their industry average or other competing firms.

Western Union Corporate Bonds Issued

Western Union issues bonds to finance its operations. Corporate bonds make up one of the most significant components of the U.S. bond market and are considered the world's largest securities market. Western Union uses the proceeds from bond sales for a wide variety of purposes, including financing ongoing mergers and acquisitions, buying new equipment, investing in research and development, buying back their own stock, paying dividends to shareholders, and even refinancing existing debt. Most Western bonds can be classified according to their maturity, which is the date when Western Union Co has to pay back the principal to investors. Maturities can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term (more than ten years). Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates but may entail additional risks.

Western Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

3.41 Billion

At this time, Western Union's Short and Long Term Debt Total is comparatively stable compared to the past year.

Understaning Western Union Use of Financial Leverage

Western Union financial leverage ratio helps in determining the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures Western Union's total debt position, including all of outstanding debt obligations, and compares it with the equity. In simple terms, the high financial leverage means the cost of production, together with running the business day-to-day, is high, whereas, lower financial leverage implies lower fixed cost investment in the business and generally considered by investors to be a good sign. So if creditors own a majority of Western Union assets, the company is considered highly leveraged. Understanding the composition and structure of overall Western Union debt and outstanding corporate bonds gives a good idea of how risky the capital structure of a business and if it is worth investing in it. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to Western Union's owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if the firm cannot cover its debt costs. The degree of Western Union's financial leverage can be measured in several ways, including by ratios such as the debt-to-equity ratio (total debt / total equity), equity multiplier (total assets / total equity), or the debt ratio (total debt / total assets).
Last ReportedProjected for 2024
Short and Long Term Debt Total2.5 B3.4 B
Net Debt1.2 B1.8 B
Long Term Debt2.1 B2.4 B
Short Term Debt364.9 M346.7 M
Short and Long Term Debt364.9 M346.7 M
Long Term Debt Total2.4 B2.4 B
Long Term Debt To Capitalization 0.84  0.69 
Total Debt To Capitalization 0.86  0.69 
Debt Equity Ratio 5.99  6.29 
Debt Ratio 0.35  0.43 
Cash Flow To Debt Ratio 0.27  0.26 
Please read more on our technical analysis page.

Western Union Investors Sentiment

The influence of Western Union's investor sentiment on the probability of its price appreciation or decline could be a good factor in your decision-making process regarding taking a position in Western. The overall investor sentiment generally increases the direction of a stock movement in a one-year investment horizon. However, the impact of investor sentiment on the entire stock market does not have solid backing from leading economists and market statisticians.
Investor biases related to Western Union's public news can be used to forecast risks associated with an investment in Western. The trend in average sentiment can be used to explain how an investor holding Western can time the market purely based on public headlines and social activities around Western Union Co. Please note that most equities that are difficult to arbitrage are affected by market sentiment the most.
Western Union's market sentiment shows the aggregated news analyzed to detect positive and negative mentions from the text and comments. The data is normalized to provide daily scores for Western Union's and other traded tickers. The bigger the bubble, the more accurate is the estimated score. Higher bars for a given day show more participation in the average Western Union's news discussions. The higher the estimated score, the more favorable is the investor's outlook on Western Union.
Some investors attempt to determine whether the market's mood is bullish or bearish by monitoring changes in market sentiment. Unlike more traditional methods such as technical analysis, investor sentiment usually refers to the aggregate attitude towards Western Union in the overall investment community. So, suppose investors can accurately measure the market's sentiment. In that case, they can use it for their benefit. For example, some tools to gauge market sentiment could be utilized using contrarian indexes, Western Union's short interest history, or implied volatility extrapolated from Western Union options trading.

Also Currently Popular

Analyzing currently trending equities could be an opportunity to develop a better portfolio based on different market momentums that they can trigger. Utilizing the top trending stocks is also useful when creating a market-neutral strategy or pair trading technique involving a short or a long position in a currently trending equity.
When determining whether Western Union is a good investment, qualitative aspects like company management, corporate governance, and ethical practices play a significant role. A comparison with peer companies also provides context and helps to understand if Western Stock is undervalued or overvalued. This multi-faceted approach, blending both quantitative and qualitative analysis, forms a solid foundation for making an informed investment decision about Western Union Co Stock. Highlighted below are key reports to facilitate an investment decision about Western Union Co Stock:
Check out the analysis of Western Union Fundamentals Over Time.
You can also try the Equity Forecasting module to use basic forecasting models to generate price predictions and determine price momentum.

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When running Western Union's price analysis, check to measure Western Union's market volatility, profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency, growth potential, financial leverage, and other vital indicators. We have many different tools that can be utilized to determine how healthy Western Union is operating at the current time. Most of Western Union's value examination focuses on studying past and present price action to predict the probability of Western Union's future price movements. You can analyze the entity against its peers and the financial market as a whole to determine factors that move Western Union's price. Additionally, you may evaluate how the addition of Western Union to your portfolios can decrease your overall portfolio volatility.
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Is Western Union's industry expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Western Union. If investors know Western will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Western Union listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
(0.46)
Dividend Share
0.94
Earnings Share
1.68
Revenue Per Share
11.75
Quarterly Revenue Growth
(0.04)
The market value of Western Union is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Western that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Western Union's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Western Union's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Western Union's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Western Union's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Western Union's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Western Union is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Western Union's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.