Western Union (WU) Surpasses Q1 Earnings Estimates

Core Insights - Western Union reported quarterly earnings of $0.41 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.40 per share, but down from $0.45 per share a year ago, indicating a 8.89% year-over-year decline in earnings [1] - The company posted revenues of $983.6 million for the quarter, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.77% and down from $1.05 billion year-over-year, reflecting a 6.67% decrease [2] - Western Union has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two out of the last four quarters and topped consensus revenue estimates three times in the same period [2] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.44 on revenues of $1.03 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.78 on revenues of $4.13 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Western Union is mixed, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting the stock is expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Financial Transaction Services industry, to which Western Union belongs, is currently ranked in the top 36% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8] - Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact investor decisions [5]