Western Union provides domestic and international money transfers through its global network of over 500,000 outside agents. The company handled almost 290 million transactions in 2025 and is the largest money transfer company in the world.
The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in The Western Union Company, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.
Returns By Period
The Western Union Company (WU) has returned -6.84% so far this year and -11.93% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, WU has achieved an annualized return of -7.74%, underperforming the Benchmark (SPY), which averaged 12.23% per year.
WU
1M-9.55%
6M8.88%
YTD-6.84%
1Y-11.93%
5Y-19.10%
10Y-7.74%
Benchmark (SPY)
1M-3.85%
6M-2.35%
YTD-4.36%
1Y34.06%
5Y9.80%
10Y12.23%
Monthly Returns
The table below presents the monthly returns of The Western Union Company (WU) with color gradation from worst to best to easily spot seasonal factors.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2026
0.21%
2.67%
-7.52%
-0.80%
2025
-2.64%
6.18%
-2.58%
-6.33%
-6.07%
-8.87%
-4.05%
7.70%
-7.20%
16.63%
-5.79%
6.77%
2024
6.26%
6.68%
4.17%
-3.52%
-5.04%
-5.27%
-3.10%
2.43%
-1.89%
-9.73%
2.23%
-3.55%
2023
1.43%
-8.28%
-13.90%
-2.32%
4.69%
2.36%
3.84%
1.81%
6.20%
-14.14%
2.65%
2.23%
2022
5.58%
-4.11%
3.59%
-10.28%
8.04%
-9.60%
3.15%
-12.62%
-8.78%
-0.81%
7.32%
-6.07%
2021
1.23%
3.57%
5.12%
4.08%
-5.23%
-6.63%
1.09%
-7.04%
-6.73%
-10.99%
-13.65%
10.95%
2020
-0.04%
-17.38%
-19.53%
9.10%
7.06%
7.94%
11.17%
-3.00%
-9.12%
-9.50%
14.34%
-3.43%
2019
8.31%
-2.24%
2.78%
4.80%
-0.61%
2.47%
4.69%
5.38%
5.27%
7.92%
6.50%
-0.15%
2018
9.08%
-4.30%
-3.07%
2.92%
0.96%
1.65%
-0.35%
-6.10%
0.69%
-5.80%
3.88%
-9.78%
2017
-10.51%
2.93%
-2.36%
-4.47%
-0.21%
3.29%
-4.30%
1.11%
3.28%
-1.40%
-3.31%
2016
4.44%
-3.28%
-0.78%
4.06%
7.60%
-3.25%
-3.23%
4.42%
3.13%
Performance Indicators
The charts below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for The Western Union Company (WU) and compare them to a Benchmark (SPY). These indicators evaluate an investment's returns against its associated risks.
Sharpe ratio
Sortino ratio
Omega ratio
Calmar ratio
Martin ratio
sharpe ratio
The Sharpe ratio helps investors understand how much return they're getting for the level of risk taken. A higher Sharpe ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance, meaning more reward for each unit of risk.
These values reflect how efficiently the investment has delivered returns relative to its volatility over different time periods. All figures are annualized and based on daily total returns.
The chart below shows the rolling Sharpe ratio of WU compared to the benchmark. This view highlights how the investment's risk-adjusted performance has changed over time.
Volatility Chart
The current The Western Union Company volatility is 1.66%, representing the standart deviation of percentage change in the investments's value, either up or down over the past month. The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. It shows the maximum percentage drop from a peak to a trough over a specified period, indicating the risk of significant losses. Although chart shows positive values, it represents the percentage drop from the peak, so a value of 10% means the portfolio has dropped 10% from its highest point.
Income Statement
The income statement provides a summary of a company's revenues, expenses, and profits over a specific period. It shows how much money the company earned (revenues) and how much it spent (expenses), leading to the net income or profit. This statement is crucial for understanding a company's financial performance and profitability.
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
Liabilities And Equity (USD)
8.31B
8.37B
8.20B
8.50B
8.82B
9.50B
8.76B
9.00B
9.23B
9.42B
9.46B
9.89B
10.12B
9.47B
9.07B
7.93B
7.35B
Equity Attributable To Parent (USD)
957.80M
968.90M
479.00M
477.80M
355.60M
186.60M
-39.50M
-309.80M
-491.40M
902.20M
1.40B
1.30B
1.10B
940.60M
894.80M
582.70M
353.50M
Equity Attributable To Noncontrolling Interest (USD)
The article recommends Western Union and HP as two ultra-high-yield dividend stocks suitable for income investors seeking sustainable payouts. Western Union offers a 9.66% dividend yield with improving digital money transfer services, while HP provides a 6.39% yield with 15 consecutive years of dividend increases and a low 36% payout ratio, supported by cost reduction initiatives and AI computer sales growth.
The Motley Fool•Dave Kovaleski
AI Insight
Company demonstrates strong operational improvements with 15% revenue growth in consumer services and 72% operating income jump. Increased free cash flow and successful pivot to digital-first strategy support the sustainability of its 9.66% dividend yield, one of the highest non-REIT/BDC yields available.
PayPal trades at 8.38x forward P/E despite generating $6.4 billion in annual free cash flow and processing $1.79 trillion in payment volume. The stock has collapsed 43% from its 52-week high due to branded checkout deceleration and CEO turnover, but the author argues the valuation reflects terminal decline rather than moderate slowdown. New CEO Enrique Lores brings operational expertise, and the company's aggressive $6 billion annual buyback program combined with strong cash generation across Venmo, BNPL, and PSP segments suggests significant upside potential.
Investing.com•Itai Smidt
AI Insight
Trades at similar 8x price-to-FCF valuation as PayPal but with genuinely declining revenues and free cash flow in multi-year structural decline. Used as a contrasting example to highlight PayPal's irrationally depressed valuation, as both companies are priced identically despite opposite trajectories.
Voss Capital, a 4.2% shareholder in Euronet Worldwide, has issued an open letter to the board demanding immediate exploration of strategic alternatives. The firm cites sustained underperformance over five years, with EEFT stock declining 54% compared to S&P 500's 81% gain, despite strong EPS growth and valuable global financial infrastructure. Voss argues the company's valuation has compressed to 6.5x earnings despite operational improvements, and references comparable transactions suggesting potential upside of 62-97%.
GlobeNewswire Inc.•Voss Capital, L.P.
AI Insight
Used as a comparison peer; while it has underperformed Euronet operationally (negative EPS growth), it is now trading at higher valuations on an EV/EBITDA basis, suggesting market skepticism toward both companies in the remittance/payment infrastructure space.
Western Union, despite facing headwinds from fintech competition and a challenging economic environment, offers an attractive 10% dividend yield with a sustainable 41% payout ratio. The stock has declined 10% annually over five years, but the company is attempting to modernize through digital-first operations and fintech initiatives. However, investors should conduct thorough due diligence as the company faces ongoing challenges and the investment is not without risk.
The Motley Fool•Selena Maranjian
AI Insight
The article presents a balanced view: positive aspects include a high 10% dividend yield, sustainable payout ratio of 41%, strong historical staying power since 1851, and attractive valuation metrics (P/E of 5.3). However, significant headwinds include 10% annual stock losses over five years, declining revenue (-5% YoY), intense fintech competition, unfavorable economic conditions for immigrants, and the risk of dividend cuts. The author explicitly states this is not a 'no-brainer investment' and requires careful analysis, suggesting cautious interest rather than strong conviction.
Remitly Global, a digital-first fintech company in the remittance market, has seen its stock fall two-thirds since its 2021 IPO despite strong 25% revenue growth. Trading at just 5x its 2028 EBITDA forecast with new products like Remitly One subscription service, the company appears undervalued if it can meet its guidance of $2.6-3 billion revenue and $575-600 million EBITDA by 2028.
The Motley Fool•Jeremy Bowman
AI Insight
Mentioned as a traditional competitor in the remittance space but with no specific analysis. Serves as context for Remitly's competitive positioning as a faster-growing digital alternative.
Western Union, a legacy money transfer company, faces declining revenue as fintech competitors and blockchain networks offer cheaper alternatives. While the core consumer money transfer business has declined 8% year-over-year, the newer consumer services division is growing nearly 50%. Trading at just 5x forward earnings with a 10%+ dividend yield, the stock presents a potential deep-value turnaround play, though investors should monitor whether the growing services business can offset continued declines in the traditional transfer business.
The Motley Fool•Bram Berkowitz
AI Insight
The company faces significant headwinds with declining core business (-8% YoY) and 58% stock decline over 5 years, but shows potential with fast-growing consumer services division (+50% YoY), cheap valuation (5x forward earnings), and high dividend yield (10%+). The outlook remains uncertain pending execution on turnaround strategy.
The article recommends three dividend-paying investments: Pfizer with a 6.7% dividend yield that is investing in oncology and GLP-1 drugs to recover from COVID-related revenue declines; Western Union with a 10.14% dividend yield and 17% total shareholder yield while pivoting to cryptocurrency and digital money transfer; and the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF offering 3.8% yield with exposure to 100 dividend-growth companies.
The Motley Fool•Selena Maranjian
AI Insight
Offers an exceptionally high 10.14% dividend yield with 17% total shareholder yield including buybacks. The company is successfully transforming its business model with cryptocurrency and stablecoin initiatives. Q3 showed improved operating margins at 20% and strong 49% year-over-year growth in consumer services. Stock is undervalued at P/E of 5.3 versus 5-year average of 7.3.
Solana, a top 10 cryptocurrency with a $76B market cap, operates on a robust blockchain network with proof-of-stake and proof-of-history mechanisms, enabling it to process tens of thousands of transactions per second. The token has surged 6,000% over five years and has attracted major partnerships with Western Union and JPMorgan Chase for real-world applications. While Solana could potentially create millionaires, its larger market cap means future gains may be slower, and investors should have high risk tolerance given crypto's inherent volatility.
The Motley Fool•Bram Berkowitz
AI Insight
Selected Solana's network to launch U.S. dollar stablecoin, demonstrating confidence in the technology and expanding its treasury capabilities with innovative solutions.
Remitly Global experienced a 16% stock decline in November due to slowing revenue growth, concerns about credit risk, and underwhelming fourth-quarter guidance, despite strong third-quarter performance with 21% customer growth and 35% send volume increase.
The Motley Fool•Jeremy Bowman
AI Insight
Mentioned as a traditional market leader being disrupted by Remitly, but no direct performance details provided
Remitly Global, a digital remittance platform, reported strong Q3 growth despite stock price decline. The company is expanding its market with new products like Remitly One and appears undervalued given its performance.
The Motley Fool•Jeremy Bowman
AI Insight
Mentioned as a traditional competitor losing market share to digital platforms like Remitly.
