Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) vs The Western Union Company (WU) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | WU | -4.0% revenue growth vs CURR's -12.8% |
| Value | WU | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | WU | 12.4% net margin vs CURR's -85.0% |
| Stability / Safety | CURR | Beta 0.57 vs WU's 0.71 |
| Dividends | WU | 9.8% yield; 11-year raise streak; CURR pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CURR | +7.7% vs WU's -2.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WU | 6.0% ROA vs CURR's -39.2% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Currenc Group operates a fintech banking platform focused on cross-border financial services. It generates revenue primarily from remittance services — facilitating international money transfers — along with sales of mobile airtime top-ups and other financial services. The company's advantage lies in its specialized platform serving the Asian remittance market, particularly connecting Singapore with regional economies.
Western Union is a global money transfer and payment services company that enables consumers and businesses to send money across borders. It generates revenue primarily from transaction fees on money transfers — with its Consumer-to-Consumer segment accounting for the vast majority — supplemented by foreign exchange spreads and business payment solutions. Its key competitive advantage is an extensive global agent network spanning over 200 countries and territories, creating a physical presence that digital-only competitors cannot easily replicate.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
WU leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). CURR leads in 1 (Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
WU is the larger business by revenue, generating $4.0B annually — 87.0x CURR's $46M. WU is the more profitable business, keeping 12.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to CURR's -85.0%.
| Metric | CURRCurrenc Group, In… | WUThe Western Union… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $46M | $4.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$11M | $934M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$34M | $500M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $2M | $393M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +31.4% | +28.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -59.0% | +19.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -85.0% | +12.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +6.2% | +9.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +139.7% | -68.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CURRCurrenc Group, In… | WUThe Western Union… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $160M | $3.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $119M | $1.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -2.03x | 6.29x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 5.35x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 1.90x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.45x | 0.75x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 3.29x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 55.72x | 7.74x |
Profitability & Efficiency
WU delivers a 52.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $52 in annual profit, vs $-138 for CURR. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CURR scores 6/9 vs WU's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | CURRCurrenc Group, In… | WUThe Western Union… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -138.2% | +52.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -39.2% | +6.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | +23.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +12.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$41M | -$1.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $64M | $1.2B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $22M | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -10.70x | 5.35x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CURR five years ago would be worth $16,855 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,052 for WU. Over the past 12 months, CURR leads with a +7.7% total return vs WU's -2.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CURR at 146.8% vs WU's -1.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CURRCurrenc Group, In… | WUThe Western Union… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +10.3% | +4.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +7.7% | -2.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1403.6% | -3.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +68.5% | -39.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +2.0% | -0.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +146.8% | -1.3% |
Risk & Volatility
CURR is the less volatile stock with a 0.57 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than WU's 0.71 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. WU currently trades 80.6% from its 52-week high vs CURR's 44.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CURRCurrenc Group, In… | WUThe Western Union… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.57x | 0.71x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $4.68 | $11.95 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.33 | $7.85 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +44.7% | +80.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 62.8 | 49.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 184K | 6.6M |
Analyst Outlook
Consensus price targets imply 67.5% upside for CURR (target: $4) vs -6.5% for WU (target: $9). WU is the only dividend payer here at 9.79% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | CURRCurrenc Group, In… | WUThe Western Union… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $3.50 | $9.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 48 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +9.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 11 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.94 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +7.7% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) | 100 | 70.87 | -29.1% |
| The Western Union C… (WU) | 100 | 40.53 | -59.5% |
Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) returned +69% over 5 years vs The Western Union C… (WU)'s -39%. A $10,000 investment in CURR 5 years ago would be worth $16,855 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) | $84165.00 | $46M | +55071.4% |
| The Western Union C… (WU) | $5.4B | $4.0B | -25.5% |
The Western Union Company's revenue grew from $5.4B (2016) to $4.0B (2025) — a -3.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) | -49.4% | -85.0% | -72.1% |
| The Western Union C… (WU) | 4.7% | 12.4% | +164.8% |
The Western Union Company's net margin went from 5% (2016) to 12% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Western Union C… (WU) | 9.1 | 6.1 | -33.0% |
The Western Union Company has traded in a 4x–12x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~6x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) | -0.18 | -1.03 | -472.2% |
| The Western Union C… (WU) | 0.51 | 1.53 | +200.0% |
The Western Union Company's EPS grew from $0.51 (2016) to $1.53 (2025) — a 13% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Currenc Group, Inc. generated $3M FCF in 2024 (-75% vs 2021). The Western Union Company generated $393M FCF in 2025 (-53% vs 2021).
CURR vs WU: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CURR or WU a better buy right now?
The Western Union Company (WU) offers the better valuation at 6.3x trailing P/E (5.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Western Union Company (WU) a "Hold" — based on 48 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — CURR or WU?
Over the past 5 years, Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) delivered a total return of +68.5%, compared to -39.5% for The Western Union Company (WU). A $10,000 investment in CURR five years ago would be worth approximately $17K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CURR returned +2.0% versus WU's -0.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — CURR or WU?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Currenc Group, Inc. (CURR) is the lower-risk stock at 0.57β versus The Western Union Company's 0.71β — meaning WU is approximately 24% more volatile than CURR relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — CURR or WU?
The Western Union Company (WU) is the more profitable company, earning 12.4% net margin versus -85.0% for Currenc Group, Inc. — meaning it keeps 12.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: WU leads at 19.4% versus -59.0% for CURR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CURR leads at 31.4%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is CURR or WU more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CURR: 67.5% to $3.50.
06Which pays a better dividend — CURR or WU?
In this comparison, WU (9.8% yield) pays a dividend. CURR does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is CURR or WU better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, The Western Union Company (WU) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.71), 9.8% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WU: -0.7%, CURR: +2.0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between CURR and WU?
Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: CURR is a small-cap quality compounder stock; WU is a small-cap deep-value stock. WU pays a dividend while CURR does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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