Price movement over the last 24 hours
AES Corp vs Western Union Co — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.66 (market cap $10.43B), while Western Union Co trades at $7.66 (market cap $2.48B). The key difference: AES Corp is far larger — about 4.2× Western Union Co's market cap, and Western Union Co pays the higher dividend (11.82%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | WU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.43B | $2.48B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $10.28 |
52-Week Low | $11.07 | $7.04 |
Enterprise Value | $39.77B | $2.18B |
Dividend Yield | 4.81% | 11.82% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.62, up 0.27% on the day, with strong fundamentals including a P/E of 7.59 and net income margin of 10.82%. Recent quarters show consistent earnings beats, while technical indicators signal bearish momentum. The company's pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a BlackRock/EQT consortium, approved by stockholders on June 26, 2026, caps near-term upside at $15 per share but provides a stable exit pathway.
The investment case hinges on the acquisition closing, offering a 2.6% gain to the $15 buyout price plus dividend yield. Risks include deal completion uncertainty and shareholder litigation. With no sell-side analysts recommending sell, the stock presents a low-risk arbitrage opportunity with defined upside and limited downside if the transaction proceeds as planned.
Western Union (WU) trades at $7.95, down 0.75% on the day, with mixed technical signals but a bullish overall trend. The stock shows strong profitability with a 10.88% net margin and 47.66% ROE, and valuation metrics like a P/E of 5.87 and P/S of 0.63 appear attractive. Recent developments include a partnership with Total Wireless for fee-free money transfers and progress on the Intermex acquisition, signaling digital expansion. However, Q1 2026 earnings missed expectations, and the company faces a high debt load with a debt-to-asset ratio of 34.64% as of 2025.
The outlook for WU is cautiously optimistic, with potential upside from digital growth initiatives and a high dividend yield, but risks include competitive pressures, recent earnings volatility, and significant leverage. Analyst sentiment is mixed, with a majority Hold rating, reflecting balanced views on growth prospects versus financial constraints.
Trailing returns across standard periods
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →Western Union provides domestic and international money transfers through its global network of about 500,000 outside agents. It is the largest money transfer company in the world and one of only a few companies with a truly global agent network.
Read more on WU →