Apple, Western Union, Palo Alto, and Others Featured in CNBC's 'Final Trades'
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Nov 07 2025
0mins
Should l Buy WU?
Source: Benzinga
Joseph Terranova's Trade: Joseph Terranova from Virtus Investment Partners selected Apple Inc. as his final trade, highlighting its fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $102.47 billion, which surpassed analyst expectations.
Bryn Talkington's Trade: Bryn Talkington of Requisite Capital Management chose the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF as her final trade, noting a slight decline in its share price.
Jason Snipe's Trade: Jason Snipe from Odyssey Capital Advisors picked Palo Alto Networks, which is expected to report earnings of 89 cents per share for its fiscal first quarter 2026, reflecting growth from the previous year.
Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington's Trade: Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington of Gilman Hill Asset Management selected Western Union, which recently reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and saw a significant increase in its share price.
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Analyst Views on WU
Wall Street analysts forecast WU stock price to fall
11 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
7 Hold
4 Sell
Moderate Sell
Current: 9.190
Low
7.00
Averages
9.00
High
10.00
Current: 9.190
Low
7.00
Averages
9.00
High
10.00
About WU
The Western Union Company is a provider of cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments, and digital financial services, empowering consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. Its segments include Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services. The Consumer Money Transfer segment facilitates money transfers, which are primarily sent from its retail agent and owned locations worldwide or through Websites and mobile devices. Its money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network. This service is available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers. The Consumer Services segment includes the Company’s bill payment services, money order services, retail foreign exchange services, media network, prepaid cards, lending partnerships, and digital wallets. The Company provides its services primarily through a network of agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Western Union Faces Competitive Challenges
- Increased Competition: Since 2020, Western Union's stock has lost about two-thirds of its value, and despite efforts to counter competitors' low-cost strategies, the company continues to face significant customer attrition, impacting its market share.
- Technology Modernization: Western Union is heavily investing in modernizing its technology, transitioning towards the web while maintaining its physical presence, which not only enhances brand recognition but also strengthens its competitive edge against emerging rivals.
- Improving Profitability: In Q4 2024, Western Union's adjusted operating margin was 17%, rising to 19% in the first half of 2025 and further to 20% in the second half, indicating that the company may be nearing a critical inflection point in profitability.
- Stock Price Recovery and Dividend Appeal: Over the past six months, Western Union's stock price has increased by approximately 10%, while the S&P 500 index has declined by about 1%, with a high dividend yield of 10% attracting more aggressive investors, although the company is still in the early stages of its turnaround.
See More
Western Union's Transformation Shows Early Signs of Success
- Increased Market Competition: Since 2020, Western Union's stock has plummeted by about two-thirds, primarily due to internet competitors attracting customers with lower costs and more convenient services, leading to a continuous decline in revenue and forcing the company to invest heavily in technology to enhance competitiveness.
- Technology Modernization Efforts: Western Union is actively transitioning to online services while maintaining its significant physical presence, which has improved brand recognition and enhanced its ability to compete with emerging rivals, thereby laying a foundation for future business growth.
- Improvement in Profitability: In Q4 2024, Western Union's adjusted operating margin was 17%, rising to 19% in the first half of 2025 and further to 20% in the second half, indicating that the company is nearing an important inflection point in profitability, which could signal positive prospects for investors.
- Stock Price Recovery Trend: Over the past six months, Western Union's stock price has increased by approximately 10%, while the S&P 500 index has declined by about 1%, and with a high dividend yield of 10%, this suggests that the company's turnaround plan is gaining market attention, although it remains in the early stages.
See More
Real-World Utility of Ethereum, XRP, and Chainlink
- Ethereum's Market Position: With a current market cap of $260 billion, Ethereum is widely regarded as the largest utility coin globally, serving not only as a transaction medium but also as a foundation for decentralized applications and financial services, potentially becoming a key platform for future AI projects.
- XRP's Cross-Border Payment Advantage: As a bridge currency, XRP aims to facilitate fast and inexpensive cross-border payments, becoming a favorite among banks and large financial institutions, with Western Union partnering with Ripple for blockchain payment pilots, showcasing its potential in traditional finance.
- Chainlink's Decentralized Oracle Role: Chainlink operates as a decentralized oracle network, providing real-time data crucial for decentralized finance applications, particularly in asset tokenization projects, enabling seamless asset transfers across different blockchains.
- Market Outlook and Investment Risks: Despite the real-world utility of these three cryptocurrencies, all have seen declines of over 20% in 2026, prompting investors to carefully assess their economic models and specific use cases to identify potential value growth opportunities.
See More
Three Cryptocurrencies with Real-World Utility
- Ethereum's Market Position: Ethereum (ETH), with a market cap of $260 billion, is recognized as the largest utility cryptocurrency globally, requiring 'gas fees' for transactions, which positions it as a primary platform for decentralized applications and financial services, potentially serving as a foundation for future AI projects.
- XRP's Cross-Border Payment Advantage: XRP (market cap $88 billion), known as the 'banker's coin', is designed for fast and low-cost cross-border payments, attracting partnerships with financial institutions to enhance the efficiency of traditional payment methods.
- Chainlink's Decentralized Oracle Role: Chainlink (market cap $6.5 billion) functions as a decentralized oracle network, providing real-time data essential for executing smart contracts, thereby facilitating the growth of decentralized finance and asset tokenization projects, which enhances blockchain utility.
- Market Challenges and Investment Caution: Despite the strong real-world applications of these three cryptocurrencies, all have seen declines of over 20% in 2026, prompting investors to carefully assess their market positions and potential risks to ensure sound investment decisions.
See More
Surge in India's Gold Loan Market Driven by Households' $5 Trillion Reserves
- Gold Loan Surge: Indian households possess over 34,000 tons of gold valued at approximately $5 trillion, driving rapid growth in the gold loan industry, which is becoming a significant part of the retail credit market.
- Doubling Loan Volume: RBI data shows gold loans more than doubled in one year to 4 trillion rupees ($43.3 billion), making it the largest retail loan segment after home and vehicle loans.
- International Investor Interest: Global private equity firm Bain Capital plans to acquire a 41.7% stake in Manappuram Finance, indicating strong confidence and market potential in India's traditional assets from international investors.
- Credit Accessibility: Most non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) can disburse loans within an hour of customer arrival, allowing even borrowers with poor credit scores to access loans at better rates, reflecting the maturity of the financial market.
See More
Analysis of High-Yield Stock Investment Strategies
- Western Union's Transformation: Western Union has made significant strides in its digital transformation, with operating cash flow increasing from $406 million to $544 million last year, driving a 15% revenue growth in consumer services and a 72% increase in operating income, demonstrating its adaptability in the competitive fintech market.
- Stable High Dividend: With a dividend yield of 9.86%, Western Union has maintained its dividend at $0.235 per share since 2021 despite not raising it in five years, indicating the company's ability to sustain high dividend payments during its transition, with potential for future increases.
- HP's Dividend Commitment: HP Inc. offers a dividend yield of 6.39% and has raised its dividend for 15 consecutive years, reflecting a strong commitment to shareholder returns, while a payout ratio of 36% ensures the sustainability of its dividends.
- Cost Control and Growth Potential: HP plans to cut $1 billion in expenses by 2028, including $250 million in 2026, while robust sales growth of its new AI computers positions the company for future earnings growth, enhancing investor confidence in its financial outlook.
See More
Western Union Faces Competitive Challenges
- Increased Competition: Since 2020, Western Union's stock has lost about two-thirds of its value, and despite efforts to counter competitors' low-cost strategies, the company continues to face significant customer attrition, impacting its market share.
- Technology Modernization: Western Union is heavily investing in modernizing its technology, transitioning towards the web while maintaining its physical presence, which not only enhances brand recognition but also strengthens its competitive edge against emerging rivals.
- Improving Profitability: In Q4 2024, Western Union's adjusted operating margin was 17%, rising to 19% in the first half of 2025 and further to 20% in the second half, indicating that the company may be nearing a critical inflection point in profitability.
- Stock Price Recovery and Dividend Appeal: Over the past six months, Western Union's stock price has increased by approximately 10%, while the S&P 500 index has declined by about 1%, with a high dividend yield of 10% attracting more aggressive investors, although the company is still in the early stages of its turnaround.
See More
Western Union's Transformation Shows Early Signs of Success
- Increased Market Competition: Since 2020, Western Union's stock has plummeted by about two-thirds, primarily due to internet competitors attracting customers with lower costs and more convenient services, leading to a continuous decline in revenue and forcing the company to invest heavily in technology to enhance competitiveness.
- Technology Modernization Efforts: Western Union is actively transitioning to online services while maintaining its significant physical presence, which has improved brand recognition and enhanced its ability to compete with emerging rivals, thereby laying a foundation for future business growth.
- Improvement in Profitability: In Q4 2024, Western Union's adjusted operating margin was 17%, rising to 19% in the first half of 2025 and further to 20% in the second half, indicating that the company is nearing an important inflection point in profitability, which could signal positive prospects for investors.
- Stock Price Recovery Trend: Over the past six months, Western Union's stock price has increased by approximately 10%, while the S&P 500 index has declined by about 1%, and with a high dividend yield of 10%, this suggests that the company's turnaround plan is gaining market attention, although it remains in the early stages.
See More
Real-World Utility of Ethereum, XRP, and Chainlink
- Ethereum's Market Position: With a current market cap of $260 billion, Ethereum is widely regarded as the largest utility coin globally, serving not only as a transaction medium but also as a foundation for decentralized applications and financial services, potentially becoming a key platform for future AI projects.
- XRP's Cross-Border Payment Advantage: As a bridge currency, XRP aims to facilitate fast and inexpensive cross-border payments, becoming a favorite among banks and large financial institutions, with Western Union partnering with Ripple for blockchain payment pilots, showcasing its potential in traditional finance.
- Chainlink's Decentralized Oracle Role: Chainlink operates as a decentralized oracle network, providing real-time data crucial for decentralized finance applications, particularly in asset tokenization projects, enabling seamless asset transfers across different blockchains.
- Market Outlook and Investment Risks: Despite the real-world utility of these three cryptocurrencies, all have seen declines of over 20% in 2026, prompting investors to carefully assess their economic models and specific use cases to identify potential value growth opportunities.
See More
Three Cryptocurrencies with Real-World Utility
- Ethereum's Market Position: Ethereum (ETH), with a market cap of $260 billion, is recognized as the largest utility cryptocurrency globally, requiring 'gas fees' for transactions, which positions it as a primary platform for decentralized applications and financial services, potentially serving as a foundation for future AI projects.
- XRP's Cross-Border Payment Advantage: XRP (market cap $88 billion), known as the 'banker's coin', is designed for fast and low-cost cross-border payments, attracting partnerships with financial institutions to enhance the efficiency of traditional payment methods.
- Chainlink's Decentralized Oracle Role: Chainlink (market cap $6.5 billion) functions as a decentralized oracle network, providing real-time data essential for executing smart contracts, thereby facilitating the growth of decentralized finance and asset tokenization projects, which enhances blockchain utility.
- Market Challenges and Investment Caution: Despite the strong real-world applications of these three cryptocurrencies, all have seen declines of over 20% in 2026, prompting investors to carefully assess their market positions and potential risks to ensure sound investment decisions.
See More
Surge in India's Gold Loan Market Driven by Households' $5 Trillion Reserves
- Gold Loan Surge: Indian households possess over 34,000 tons of gold valued at approximately $5 trillion, driving rapid growth in the gold loan industry, which is becoming a significant part of the retail credit market.
- Doubling Loan Volume: RBI data shows gold loans more than doubled in one year to 4 trillion rupees ($43.3 billion), making it the largest retail loan segment after home and vehicle loans.
- International Investor Interest: Global private equity firm Bain Capital plans to acquire a 41.7% stake in Manappuram Finance, indicating strong confidence and market potential in India's traditional assets from international investors.
- Credit Accessibility: Most non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) can disburse loans within an hour of customer arrival, allowing even borrowers with poor credit scores to access loans at better rates, reflecting the maturity of the financial market.
See More
Analysis of High-Yield Stock Investment Strategies
- Western Union's Transformation: Western Union has made significant strides in its digital transformation, with operating cash flow increasing from $406 million to $544 million last year, driving a 15% revenue growth in consumer services and a 72% increase in operating income, demonstrating its adaptability in the competitive fintech market.
- Stable High Dividend: With a dividend yield of 9.86%, Western Union has maintained its dividend at $0.235 per share since 2021 despite not raising it in five years, indicating the company's ability to sustain high dividend payments during its transition, with potential for future increases.
- HP's Dividend Commitment: HP Inc. offers a dividend yield of 6.39% and has raised its dividend for 15 consecutive years, reflecting a strong commitment to shareholder returns, while a payout ratio of 36% ensures the sustainability of its dividends.
- Cost Control and Growth Potential: HP plans to cut $1 billion in expenses by 2028, including $250 million in 2026, while robust sales growth of its new AI computers positions the company for future earnings growth, enhancing investor confidence in its financial outlook.
See More
