Right. Western Union. It’s one of those names you just… know. Like, vaguely. From history books, possibly. Or your grandmother. It’s been around since the 1800s, which is impressive, I suppose. Although, being old doesn’t necessarily translate to being profitable, does it? I mean, look at me. Anyway. It’s been having a bit of a tough time, losing about two-thirds of its value since 2020. Two-thirds! That’s… significant. It’s enough to make one reconsider all life choices, frankly. Still, I’m watching it. Because, well, a girl can dream of a decent dividend yield, can’t she?
Units of financial anxiety experienced today: 7. Cups of tea consumed while staring at stock charts: 4. Number of times I’ve Googled “what is a turnaround?”: Too many to admit.
The problem, as far as I can gather (and my grasp of macroeconomics is, shall we say, ‘developing’), is competition. The internet happened. And suddenly everyone can send money to everyone else for, like, pennies. Which is great for the senders, less great for Western Union. They were apparently a bit slow on the uptake. A bit like me trying to learn TikTok. It’s not that I can’t learn it, it’s just… priorities.
But things might be changing. They’ve been having a bit of a makeover. Modernizing the tech, getting online, all that. They still have those actual shops, which is good. Brand recognition, you see. It’s reassuring. Like a comforting cardigan in a world of fast fashion. They’re trying to compete with those pesky startups. And, honestly, I’m cautiously optimistic. Cautiously. Very cautiously.
The interesting bit, though, is the operating margin. It’s been creeping up. From 17% to 19%, then 20%. And in the fourth quarter of 2025, it jumped three percentage points year-on-year. That’s… promising. It suggests they might actually be turning things around. Or, you know, it could be a temporary blip. One must always be prepared for the blip. I’ve learned that the hard way.
The stock price has gone up about 10% in the last six months, which is more than the S&P 500 has managed. And they have a dividend yield of 10%. Ten percent! It’s enough to make a girl consider remortgaging the flat. (Don’t tell my financial advisor.)
However, a word of caution. It’s only for the more… adventurous dividend investors. The earnings covered the dividend in the last quarter, but it’s still early days. It’s not a guaranteed win, let’s put it that way. I’m watching it closely, though. Because, honestly, a little bit of hope is all one needs to get through a Tuesday.
Number of times I’ve checked the stock price today: 17. Number of times I’ve told myself to stop checking the stock price: 0.
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2026-03-23 01:12