LIVE
PAYO
Payoneer Global Inc. · Technology - Digital B2B Payments
$7.02
+46.25% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
WU
The Western Union Company · Financials - Consumer Money Transfer
$7.12
-11.76% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
PAYO
1
WU
3
Comparison scoreboard
WU LEADS 3/5AI Score
PAYO 23.6
WU ✓24.9
1Y Return
PAYO ✓+7.50%
WU -5.81%
Fwd P/E
PAYO 18.74
WU ✓3.71
Target Up.
PAYO +5.41%
WU ✓+27.48%
Op. Margin
PAYO N/A
WU N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
PAYO vs WU Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
PAYO (Payoneer) and WU (Western Union) are both international payment companies serving global money movement needs but with fundamentally different models — Payoneer is a digital-first B2B platform serving the global gig economy (marketplace sellers, freelancers) while Western Union is a 170-year-old consumer remittance company with an unmatched agent network serving migrant workers sending cash home. Payoneer is the digital growth play; Western Union is the legacy yield play facing structural disruption.
PAYO vs WU is digital B2B gig economy payments growth (Payoneer's marketplace integration enabling the global freelance economy's cross-border income flow) versus legacy consumer remittance network defending volume (Western Union's agent-based cash transfer network facing digital disruption while generating cash for dividends) — growth versus value with structural divergence.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
WU holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. PAYO has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+7.50% vs -5.81%), though WU trades at the lower forward P/E (3.71x vs 18.74x). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for WU (+27.48%) than for PAYO (+5.41%).
Normalized 1Y performance
PAYO
WU
Recent returns
PAYO
WU
Analyst price targets & sentiment
PAYO · 4 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Hold (2.6/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$7.40
analyst high$7.40
analyst mean$7.40
current price$7.02
+5.4% upside to analyst mean
WU · 13 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Sell (3.6/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$7.00
analyst high$11.00
analyst mean$9.08
current price$7.12
+27.5% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
PAYO may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to the global gig economy payment infrastructure — Payoneer enables millions of freelancers and small businesses in emerging markets to receive international payments from marketplace platforms
- →Value Payoneer's marketplace integration depth with Amazon, Upwork, Fiverr, and others as creating switching cost-protected revenue tied to the growth of global digital work
- →Accept smaller scale and emerging market concentration for exposure to the digitization of cross-border B2B payments serving the global gig economy
WU may suit investors who:
- →Want a high-dividend-yield financial services company with resilient remittance cash flows — Western Union's remittance volume has proven relatively recession-resistant as migrant workers prioritize family support payments
- →Value the agent network's irreplaceable reach to unbanked cash recipients in developing markets as a real competitive moat that digital-only competitors cannot replicate for many years
- →Accept the long-term structural headwind from digital disruption as a managed risk while collecting Western Union's dividend as the business harvests cash from its agent network
Performance & AI score
| Metric | PAYO | WU |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 23.6 | 24.9 |
| AI rank | #3509 | #2960 |
| Latest close | $7.02 | $7.12 |
| 1M return | +46.25% | -11.76% |
| 6M return | +18.98% | -19.93% |
| 1Y return | +7.50% | -5.81% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | PAYO | WU |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $10.75K (+7.5%) started 2025-06-18 | $10.56K (+5.6%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $7.09K (-29.1%) started 2021-06-18 | $7.49K (-25.1%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $7.25K (-27.5%) started 2020-10-16 | $14.96K (+49.6%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | PAYO | WU |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $2.37B | $2.22B |
| Trailing P/E | 35.10 | 5.24 |
| Forward P/E | 18.74 | 3.71 |
| Price/Sales | 2.22 | 0.55 |
| EV/Revenue | 1.96 | 0.98 |
| Analyst target | $7.40 | $9.08 |
| Target upside | +5.41% | +27.48% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | PAYO | WU |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 6.10% | -0.10% |
| Earnings growth | 13.30% | -44.40% |
| EPS growth | +13.30% | -44.40% |
| FCF margin | -3.68% | +7.18% |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | 6.76% | 10.88% |
| ROIC proxy | 10.24% | 47.66% |
| Return on equity | 10.24% | 47.66% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 12.95% |
| Beta | 1.01 | 0.49 |
| Debt/equity | 12.14 | 288.12 |
| Current ratio | 0.99 | 0.26 |
| Quick ratio | 0.98 | 0.21 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
PAYO max drawdown42.45%
WU max drawdown26.99%
PAYO max wkly drop21.22%
WU max wkly drop9.69%
5Y risk snapshot
PAYO max drawdown67.94%
WU max drawdown55.04%
PAYO max wkly drop25.81%
WU max wkly drop17.21%
10Y risk snapshot
PAYO max drawdown76.04%
WU max drawdown60.16%
PAYO max wkly drop25.81%
WU max wkly drop17.21%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | PAYO | WU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +7.50% | -5.81% |
| CAGR | +7.51% | -5.81% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.31 | -0.20 | |
| Max drawdown | 42.45% | 26.99% | |
| Max daily drop | 18.51% | 4.61% | |
| Max wkly drop | 21.22% | 9.69% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -29.09% | -54.10% |
| CAGR | -6.65% | -14.42% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.08 | -0.56 | |
| Max drawdown | 67.94% | 55.04% | |
| Max daily drop | 19.60% | 12.57% | |
| Max wkly drop | 25.81% | 17.21% | |
| 10Y | Growth | -27.48% | -32.37% |
| CAGR | -5.51% | -3.84% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.09 | -0.17 | |
| Max drawdown | 76.04% | 60.16% | |
| Max daily drop | 19.60% | 12.57% | |
| Max wkly drop | 25.81% | 17.21% |
Business comparison
| Category | PAYO | WU |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Payoneer Global Inc. | The Western Union Company |
| Sector | Technology - Digital B2B Payments | Financials - Consumer Money Transfer |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Payoneer is a digital payments platform serving freelancers, SMBs, and marketplace sellers operating across international borders — enabling professionals in emerging markets to receive payments from global marketplace platforms (Amazon, Upwork, Fiverr, Airbnb) and e-commerce buyers, store and spend funds globally, and access working capital. Payoneer operates in 190+ countries. | Western Union is a global consumer money transfer company with over 500,000 physical agent locations in 200+ countries and territories — primarily serving migrant workers sending remittances to family in their home countries. Western Union also offers digital transfer services (westernunion.com, app) and business payment solutions. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Payoneer's revenue from payment transaction fees and float interest, volume growth in marketplace and SMB channels, B2B payments expansion, take rate, and EBITDA margin as Payoneer scales its global payment infrastructure. | Investors track Western Union's consumer-to-consumer (C2C) money transfer volume and revenue, digital transfer channel growth as a percentage of total transactions, agent network volume trends, take rate, and dividend sustainability as Western Union navigates the long-term shift from agent-based to digital remittances. |
PAYO strengths
- →Marketplace platform integration — Payoneer is deeply embedded in global marketplace ecosystems (Amazon seller payouts, Upwork/Fiverr freelancer payments, Airbnb host payouts) as the preferred payout solution for earning money on these platforms globally
- →Emerging market reach — Payoneer enables professionals in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nigeria, and other emerging markets to participate in the global digital economy by receiving USD/EUR payments from developed market buyers
- →Working capital products — Payoneer's Capital Advance gives eligible sellers short-term working capital based on their marketplace revenue history, adding a fintech lending dimension to the payment platform
WU strengths
- →Unmatched global agent network — Western Union's 500,000+ agent locations reach cash recipients in rural areas, conflict zones, and underbanked regions that digital-only transfers cannot serve; many recipients of remittances lack bank accounts and need to receive cash
- →Brand recognition in remittances — Western Union's 170+ year history creates trust particularly in developing markets where the Western Union name is synonymous with reliable international money transfer
- →High-frequency, mission-critical transaction type — international remittances support families' basic needs; migrant workers send money home regardless of economic conditions, providing revenue resilience
Risks to watch — PAYO
- →Marketplace concentration — Payoneer's revenue depends on continued integration and volume growth within its marketplace platform partners; if Amazon or other major platforms shift to alternative payout solutions, Payoneer revenue would be impacted
- →Competition from Wise (formerly TransferWise), Remitly, and local payment providers in emerging markets offering competitive international transfer pricing
- →Regulatory risk in multiple jurisdictions — operating payments in 190+ countries means navigating diverse financial regulations, money transmitter licenses, and AML requirements across emerging and developed markets
Risks to watch — WU
- →Digital disruption is eroding agent-based volumes — Wise, Remitly, Revolut, and PayPal's Xoom offer faster, cheaper digital alternatives that are capturing growing share of international money transfer, particularly among younger and banked recipients
- →Long-term structural decline of agent business — as banking penetration grows in developing markets and recipients gain digital access, the rationale for high-cost agent transfers weakens; Western Union's core business model faces secular headwind
- →Take rate compression — intense competition and regulatory pressure on remittance fees are compressing Western Union's transaction margins over time
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