The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Hold" from the twenty research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $16.81.

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Wendy's from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Wendy's from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Argus upgraded shares of Wendy's to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Wendy's from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Wendy's from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th.

Wendy's Trading Down 0.2 %

Wendy's stock opened at $12.52 on Tuesday. Wendy's has a 52 week low of $12.05 and a 52 week high of $20.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $13.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.48. The company has a market capitalization of $2.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.40.

Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 2nd. The restaurant operator reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.20. The business had revenue of $523.47 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $530.11 million. Wendy's had a net margin of 8.65% and a return on equity of 75.56%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.23 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Wendy's will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Wendy's Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.47%. Wendy's's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.57%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy's

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in Wendy's by 670.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,402 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 1,220 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Wendy's during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new stake in Wendy's during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Wendy's by 1,111.9% in the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,133 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,957 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Wendy's by 168.1% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,233 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wendy's Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.