Aigen Investment Management LP Acquires New Holdings in The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN)

Key Points

• Aigen Investment Management LP has acquired a new stake in The Wendy's Company, purchasing 121,334 shares valued at approximately $1.775 million, representing a 0.06% ownership as of the latest SEC filing.
• A variety of institutional investors have increased their stakes in Wendy's, with notable growth by Headlands Technologies LLC at 2,485.1% and Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. at 7.4%, highlighting significant institutional interest in the company.
• Wendy's recently reported quarterly earnings with EPS of $0.29, exceeding estimates, while also announcing a quarterly dividend of $0.14, indicating continued financial resilience amid a slight decline in year-over-year revenue.

Aigen Investment Management LP bought a new position in The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 121,334 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $1,775,000. Aigen Investment Management LP owned 0.06% of Wendy's at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in WEN. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of Wendy's by 88.7% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 74,242 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,210,000 after buying an additional 34,908 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Wendy's by 296.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,882,829 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $30,690,000 after buying an additional 1,407,503 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its position in shares of Wendy's by 1,072.8% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 237,979 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $3,879,000 after buying an additional 217,688 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wendy's in the 4th quarter worth $886,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wendy's in the 4th quarter worth $437,000. 85.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Wendy's

In related news, CMO Lindsay J. Radkoski purchased 5,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $11.68 per share, with a total value of $58,984.00. Following the acquisition, the chief marketing officer owned 28,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $338,206.08. This trade represents a 21.12% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 17.00% of the company's stock.

Wendy's Stock Performance

WEN traded up $0.22 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $10.31. 10,523,943 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,826,448. The stock has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.31. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.05 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.74, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.43. The Wendy's Company has a 12 month low of $9.74 and a 12 month high of $20.60.

Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.04. Wendy's had a net margin of 8.63% and a return on equity of 103.07%. The business had revenue of $560.93 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $558.95 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.27 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that The Wendy's Company will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Wendy's Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. Wendy's's dividend payout ratio is presently 58.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WEN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. TD Securities reduced their price objective on Wendy's from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays reduced their price objective on Wendy's from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Cowen restated a "hold" rating on shares of Wendy's in a research note on Friday. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Wendy's from $13.00 to $11.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Wendy's from $15.00 to $13.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $13.87.

Wendy's Profile

The Wendy's Co engages in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International, and Global Real Estate and Development. The Wendy's U.S. segment includes the operation and franchising of Wendy's restaurants in the U.S.