Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Purchases Shares of 70,100 The Wendy’s Company $WEN

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 70,100 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $487,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC boosted its position in Wendy’s by 382.8% in the third quarter. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC now owns 1,216,811 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $11,146,000 after buying an additional 964,771 shares during the last quarter. Ruffer LLP acquired a new position in Wendy’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,194,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in Wendy’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $781,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in Wendy’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $785,000. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Wendy’s during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $191,000. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wendy’s Stock Down 4.2%

Shares of WEN stock opened at $7.45 on Thursday. The Wendy’s Company has a twelve month low of $6.07 and a twelve month high of $12.00. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.36. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $7.37 and a 200 day moving average of $7.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $432.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $518.03 million. Wendy’s had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 136.46%. The business’s revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.20 EPS. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 71.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on WEN. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $6.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $7.25 to $7.75 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Wendy’s presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $8.56.

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.