Vanguard Group Inc. Trims Stake in The Wendy’s Company $WEN

Vanguard Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) by 7.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 17,134,262 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 1,455,546 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 0.09% of Wendy’s worth $142,728,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WEN. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in shares of Wendy’s during the 1st quarter worth approximately $161,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in Wendy’s by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 639,085 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $9,350,000 after acquiring an additional 11,072 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its position in Wendy’s by 35.0% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 15,687 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $179,000 after acquiring an additional 4,067 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in Wendy’s by 136.9% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 27,776 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 16,053 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp lifted its position in shares of Wendy’s by 8.4% during the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 16,987 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $194,000 after purchasing an additional 1,310 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Argus raised shares of Wendy’s to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Mizuho set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $7.25 to $7.75 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wendy’s presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.39.

Wendy’s Price Performance

WEN opened at $6.76 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.67, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25. The Wendy’s Company has a 12-month low of $6.37 and a 12-month high of $12.52. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $7.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.84.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 136.46% and a net margin of 6.77%.The firm had revenue of $432.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $518.03 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.20 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 71.79%.

Wendy’s News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Wendy’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s reported first-quarter earnings above Wall Street estimates and reiterated its full-year outlook, suggesting management still sees room for improvement in the turnaround. These Analysts Revise Their Forecasts On Wendy’s After Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management says its “Project Fresh” turnaround is gaining momentum, which could eventually support better sales and margins if execution improves. Wendy’s Q1 sales decline 7.8% as Project Fresh turnaround gains momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Wendy’s is closing additional stores in some states, a move that may help streamline the footprint but also highlights ongoing pressure in parts of the business. Wendy’s Is Closing More Stores. These States Are Being Hit the Hardest
• Neutral Sentiment: News about a Wendy’s legend tied to an iconic KFC item is mostly brand trivia and is unlikely to materially affect the stock. The Iconic KFC Item That Was Actually Invented By A Wendy’s Legend
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan reiterated an underweight rating and cut its price target to $6, reinforcing concerns that Wendy’s is losing ground in the competitive burger category. These Analysts Revise Their Forecasts On Wendy’s After Q1 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Recent reports say Wendy’s Q1 sales fell 7.8%, underscoring continued demand weakness despite the turnaround effort. Wendy’s Q1 sales decline 7.8% as Project Fresh turnaround gains momentum

Wendy’s Profile

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) operates as a global quick-service restaurant chain, best known for its square-shaped beef patties, fresh ingredient sourcing and signature Frosty dessert. The company’s menu features a variety of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, breakfast sandwiches, sides and beverages, designed to appeal to a broad customer base seeking both classic and contemporary fast-food options. Wendy’s has placed particular emphasis on product innovation, introducing limited-time offerings and revamped core menu items to maintain customer interest and respond to evolving dining trends.

Founded in 1969 by entrepreneur Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, Wendy’s expanded rapidly through both company-owned and franchised outlets.