The Wendy's Company $WEN Stock Sold by Venture Visionary Partners LLC

Key Points

• Venture Visionary Partners cut its Wendy’s stake by 95.1% in the third quarter, selling 311,761 shares and retaining 15,956 shares worth approximately $102,000. Institutional investors collectively own 85.96% of WEN.
• Wendy’s reported quarterly revenue of $570.57 million and earnings per share of $0.18, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue grew 1.8% year over year.
• The company reduced its quarterly dividend from $0.14 to $0.07 per share, resulting in an annualized yield of about 4.5%. Analysts maintain a largely cautious view, with a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $7.82.

Venture Visionary Partners LLC reduced its stake in shares of The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN - Free Report) by 95.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,956 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 311,761 shares during the period. Venture Visionary Partners LLC's holdings in Wendy's were worth $102,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WEN. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wendy's in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Wendy's during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in shares of Wendy's in the second quarter valued at about $37,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Wendy's in the first quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Wendy's by 57.7% in the first quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,687 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 2,080 shares during the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wendy's Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of WEN opened at $6.23 on Friday. The Wendy's Company has a 12 month low of $5.94 and a 12 month high of $10.12. The firm has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.44, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.95. The stock's 50 day moving average is $7.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $7.37.

Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.02. Wendy's had a return on equity of 115.31% and a net margin of 5.72%. The business had revenue of $570.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $557.13 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.29 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that The Wendy's Company will post 0.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy's Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. This is a drop from Wendy's's previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Wendy's's payout ratio is currently 42.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on WEN. Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $8.00 target price on shares of Wendy's in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Wendy's in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Wendy's in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Wendy's in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Wendy's in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $7.82.

Wendy's Company Profile

Wendy's Co NASDAQ: WEN operates and franchises the Wendy's quick-service restaurant chain. Its menu primarily features hamburgers made with fresh, never-frozen beef, along with chicken sandwiches, nuggets, salads, french fries, breakfast items, beverages and the signature Frosty dessert.

Founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, Wendy's has grown into an international restaurant brand. The company serves customers through a network of company-operated and franchised restaurants, with a significant presence in the United States and additional locations in international markets.

In addition to restaurant sales, Wendy's supports ordering through digital channels, including its mobile application and website, as well as delivery services.

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