25 years of historical data (2001–2025) · Financial Services · Financial - Credit Services
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
The Western Union Company trades at 6.3x earnings, roughly in line with its 5-year average of 6.4x, sitting at the 16th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Financial Services sector median P/E of 13.8x, the stock trades at a discount of 54%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 7.7x P/FCF, 19% below the 5-year average of 9.5x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $3.0B | $3.0B | $3.6B | $4.4B | $5.3B | $7.3B | $9.1B | $11.5B | $7.8B | $8.9B | $10.7B |
| Enterprise Value | $1.8B | $1.8B | $5.3B | $5.8B | $6.8B | $9.1B | $10.3B | $13.2B | $10.2B | $11.1B | $12.6B |
| P/E Ratio → | 6.29 | 6.08 | 3.87 | 7.10 | 5.88 | 9.06 | 12.26 | 10.89 | 9.12 | — | 42.59 |
| P/S Ratio | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.86 | 1.02 | 1.20 | 1.44 | 1.88 | 2.18 | 1.39 | 1.61 | 1.98 |
| P/B Ratio | 3.29 | 3.18 | 3.73 | 9.25 | 11.19 | 20.51 | 48.82 | — | 3.60 | 5.22 | 3.81 |
| P/FCF | 7.74 | 7.76 | 9.80 | 6.98 | 14.32 | 8.78 | 12.64 | 14.66 | 16.07 | 15.75 | 13.20 |
| P/OCF | 5.59 | 5.61 | 8.90 | 5.66 | 9.20 | 6.98 | 10.38 | 12.62 | 9.44 | 11.99 | 10.29 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
The Western Union Company's enterprise value stands at 1.9x EBITDA, 65% below its 5-year average of 5.4x. The Financial Services sector median is 11.1x, placing the stock at a 83% discount on an enterprise-value basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 0.45 | 1.25 | 1.34 | 1.53 | 1.79 | 2.13 | 2.49 | 1.83 | 2.01 | 2.33 |
| EV / EBITDA | 1.90 | 1.91 | 5.83 | 5.82 | 6.40 | 6.83 | 8.62 | 11.07 | 7.36 | 15.06 | 16.91 |
| EV / EBIT | 2.30 | 2.36 | 7.14 | 6.85 | 6.16 | 8.74 | 10.57 | 8.95 | 8.95 | 22.65 | 25.55 |
| EV / FCF | — | 4.62 | 14.30 | 9.18 | 18.32 | 10.95 | 14.27 | 16.77 | 21.17 | 19.63 | 15.55 |
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
The Western Union Company earns an operating margin of 19.4%, below the Financial Services sector average of 21.9%. Return on equity of 51.9% is exceptionally high — well above the sector median of 9.1%. ROIC of 23.3% represents excellent returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 5.4%.
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 28.7% | 28.7% | 37.8% | 38.7% | 41.3% | 42.9% | 41.5% | 41.7% | 41.0% | 39.3% | 39.8% |
| Operating Margin | 19.4% | 19.4% | 17.2% | 18.8% | 19.8% | 22.1% | 20.0% | 17.6% | 20.1% | 8.6% | 8.9% |
| Net Profit Margin | 12.4% | 12.4% | 22.2% | 14.4% | 20.3% | 15.9% | 15.4% | 20.0% | 15.2% | -10.1% | 4.7% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 51.9% | 51.9% | 129.0% | 130.9% | 218.5% | 297.2% | 1012.0% | 100.3% | 44.2% | -24.7% | 12.0% |
| ROA | 6.0% | 6.0% | 11.3% | 7.5% | 10.5% | 8.8% | 8.2% | 11.9% | 9.3% | -6.0% | 2.7% |
| ROIC | 23.3% | 23.3% | 15.0% | 19.2% | 20.1% | 24.6% | 21.0% | 15.5% | 16.3% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
| ROCE | 12.5% | 12.5% | 19.9% | 16.9% | 17.4% | 31.5% | 29.0% | 17.9% | 15.3% | 6.3% | 5.9% |
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
The company holds a net cash position — cash of $1.2B exceeds total debt of $0, providing substantial financial flexibility for buybacks, acquisitions, or weathering downturns. Interest coverage of 5.5x is adequate, though a cyclical earnings downturn could tighten the margin of safety.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | — | — | 3.23 | 5.57 | 5.81 | 8.46 | 17.70 | — | 1.60 | 1.78 | 0.99 |
| Debt / EBITDA | — | — | 3.46 | 2.66 | 2.60 | 2.26 | 2.77 | 2.91 | 2.48 | 4.12 | 3.73 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | -1.29 | 1.71 | 2.92 | 3.12 | 5.06 | 6.31 | — | 1.14 | 1.29 | 0.68 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.30 | -1.30 | 1.83 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.35 | 0.99 | 1.39 | 1.77 | 2.98 | 2.56 |
| Debt / FCF | — | -3.14 | 4.49 | 2.20 | 4.00 | 2.17 | 1.63 | 2.10 | 5.10 | 3.89 | 2.35 |
| Interest Coverage | 5.48 | 5.48 | 6.06 | 7.76 | 8.76 | 10.65 | 8.16 | 6.14 | 7.50 | 3.33 | 3.17 |
Net cash position: cash ($1.2B) exceeds total debt ($0)
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
The Western Union Company's current ratio of 16.52x is well above the 1.0 safety threshold, indicating strong short-term liquidity with ample room to cover current liabilities. The current ratio has improved from 0.30x to 16.52x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 16.52 | 16.52 | 1.27 | 0.30 | 0.84 | 0.50 | 0.93 | 0.87 | 0.60 | 0.43 | 0.57 |
| Quick Ratio | 16.52 | 16.52 | 1.27 | 0.30 | 0.84 | 0.50 | 0.93 | 0.87 | 0.60 | 0.43 | 0.57 |
| Cash Ratio | 16.52 | 16.52 | 0.36 | 0.24 | 0.69 | 0.23 | 0.36 | 0.32 | 0.60 | 0.43 | 0.57 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.49 | 0.50 | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.57 | 0.51 | 0.60 | 0.62 | 0.60 | 0.58 |
| Inventory Turnover | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
The Western Union Company returns 17.5% to shareholders annually — split between a 9.8% dividend yield and 7.7% buyback yield. A payout ratio of 61.8% is moderate and appears sustainable, balancing shareholder returns with reinvestment capacity. The earnings yield of 15.9% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 9.8% | 10.1% | 8.9% | 7.9% | 6.8% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 3.0% | 4.4% | 3.7% | 2.9% |
| Payout Ratio | 61.8% | 61.8% | 34.4% | 55.8% | 40.0% | 47.4% | 49.8% | 32.2% | 40.1% | — | 123.3% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 15.9% | 16.4% | 25.8% | 14.1% | 17.0% | 11.0% | 8.2% | 9.2% | 11.0% | — | 2.3% |
| FCF Yield | 12.9% | 12.9% | 10.2% | 14.3% | 7.0% | 11.4% | 7.9% | 6.8% | 6.2% | 6.4% | 7.6% |
| Buyback Yield | 7.7% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 7.0% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 2.6% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 4.7% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 17.5% | 17.8% | 14.0% | 14.8% | 13.7% | 10.9% | 6.7% | 7.7% | 9.7% | 9.3% | 7.6% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $328M | $341M | $372M | $388M | $409M | $415M | $431M | $454M | $468M | $494M |
Compare WU with 7 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WUYou | $3B | 6.3 | 1.9 | 7.7 | 28.7% | 19.4% | 51.9% | 23.3% | — |
| MA | $458B | 31.3 | 22.7 | 26.7 | 83.4% | 59.2% | 209.9% | 56.5% | 0.9 |
| AXP | $213B | 22.0 | 15.3 | 17.5 | 81.9% | 17.4% | 34.7% | 12.2% | 3.5 |
| PYPL | $43B | 8.5 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 47.0% | 19.7% | 25.7% | 16.3% | 1.3 |
| V | $3B | 31.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 80.4% | 60.0% | 52.1% | 29.2% | 1.0 |
| GDOT | $641M | -23.1 | -10.7 | 90.3 | 33.6% | -0.1% | -3.1% | -0.1% | 0.7 |
| CURR | $160M | -2.0 | — | 55.7 | 31.4% | -59.0% | — | — | — |
| PMTS | $140M | 7.5 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 35.6% | 13.1% | — | 19.9% | 3.7 |
| Financial Services Median | — | 13.8 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 60.2% | 21.9% | 9.1% | 5.4% | 4.1 |
Peers based on L4 peer group classification. Compare multiple stocks →
Includes 30+ ratios · 23 years · Updated daily
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Start ComparisonThe Western Union Company's current P/E ratio is 6.3x. The historical average is 12.7x. This places it at the 16th percentile of its historical range.
The Western Union Company's current EV/EBITDA is 1.9x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 9.0x.
The Western Union Company's return on equity (ROE) is 51.9%. This is above the typical threshold of 15-20% considered good for most companies. The historical average is 115.4%.
Based on historical data, The Western Union Company is trading at a P/E of 6.3x. This is at the 16th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
The Western Union Company's current dividend yield is 9.79% with a payout ratio of 61.8%.
The Western Union Company has 28.7% gross margin and 19.4% operating margin. Operating margin between 10-20% is typical for established companies.