What Happened?
Shares of money transfer company Western Union (NYSE: WU) jumped 5.1% in the afternoon session after the company announced plans to pilot a stablecoin-based settlement system, signaling a significant move toward integrating blockchain technology into its global operations.
The initiative, detailed during its third-quarter 2025 earnings call, was aimed at modernizing how the company moves money for its 150 million customers. According to CEO Devin McGranahan, the new system was being tested to shorten settlement windows, improve capital efficiency, and move money faster at a lower cost. This strategic shift into digital assets followed the passage of the GENIUS Act, which provided the regulatory clarity needed for the company to move forward. The move was also part of a wider digital transformation that included recent acquisitions to bolster its services.
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What Is The Market Telling Us
Western Union’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 10 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 4 days ago when the stock gained 11.2% on the news that the company reported third-quarter earnings that surpassed analyst expectations for both profit and revenue. The global money transfer provider posted adjusted earnings of $0.47 per share, beating the analyst consensus of $0.43. Revenue for the quarter was $1.03 billion, which was flat compared to the previous year but came in slightly ahead of Wall Street's estimates. Furthermore, the company's full-year revenue guidance was also 1% above what analysts had forecasted, signaling a positive outlook. These better-than-expected results appeared to boost investor confidence in the company's performance.
Western Union is down 10.4% since the beginning of the year, and at $9.36 per share, it is trading 19.5% below its 52-week high of $11.62 from March 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Western Union’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $461.75.
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