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The Western Union CoWU -0.99%60 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.79 as of Mar. 2026, which is 42% above its 10-year median of 2.67. GuruFocus rates WU with a GF Score™ of 60/100 and a GF Value™ of $11.69 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 284 Credit Services companies, The Western Union Co ranks better than 75.7% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
WU'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 2.01 Med: 2.67 Max: 4.03
Current: 2.96
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of The Western Union Co was 4.03. The lowest was 2.01. And the median was 2.67.
WU's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked better than 75.7% of 284
companies
in the Credit Services industry
Industry Median: 9.2
vs WU: 2.96
The Western Union Co (NYSE:WU) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The Western Union Co Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
The Western Union Co Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
WU vs UPST, AGM.A, ECPG: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Credit Services subindustry, The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
The Western Union Co Debt-to-EBITDA vs Credit Services Industry
For the Credit Services industry and Financial Services sector, The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
The Western Union Co (WU) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.79 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on The Western Union Co. This is 42% above median its historical median of 2.67. Over the past decade, The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 2.01 to 4.03. According to the industry distribution chart, The Western Union Co ranks #69 out of 284 companies in the Credit Services industry, placing it in the top 24.3%.
Is The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
The Western Union Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.79 is 42% above median its 10-year median of 2.67. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.01 to a high of 4.03. The Credit Services industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 9.20. The Western Union Co's value of 3.79 is 58.8% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, The Western Union Co ranks #69 out of 284 companies in the Credit Services industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, The Western Union Co has a GF Score™ of 60/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does The Western Union Co's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to UPST and AGM.A?
According to the Credit Services industry distribution chart, The Western Union Co ranks #69 out of 284 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places The Western Union Co in the top 24% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 9.20. The Western Union Co's value of 3.79 is 58.8% below this benchmark. Historically, The Western Union Co's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 2.01 to 4.03 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.67 vs. the industry median of 9.20, The Western Union Co has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Credit Services company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Credit Services companies is 9.20, based on 284 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. The Western Union Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.79 is 58.8% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on The Western Union Co. For the Credit Services industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 9.20 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. The Western Union Co's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.79, which is 42% above median its own 10-year median of 2.67. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is The Western Union Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The Western Union Co (WU) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $11.69, compared to a current price of $8.01 — trading 31.5% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.79, which is 42% above median its 10-year median of 2.67 and 58.8% below the Credit Services industry median of 9.20. The Western Union Co's overall GF Score™ is 60/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For The Western Union Co (WU), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.79 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is The Western Union Co (WU) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The Western Union Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $8.01 is trading 31.5% below its estimated GF Value™ of $11.69.
GuruFocus considers The Western Union Co to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for WU:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.79 (42% above median its 10-year median of 2.67)
GF Value™: $11.69 vs. price of $8.01 (31.5% below fair value)
Industry Position: 58.8% below the Credit Services median (#69 of 284)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WU stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Western Union provides domestic and international money transfers through its global network of over 500,000 outside agents. The company handled almost 290 million transactions in 2025 and is the largest money transfer company in the world.
60GF Score
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