The Wendy’s Company $WEN Holdings Decreased by Voya Investment Management LLC

Voya Investment Management LLC reduced its position in shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) by 56.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 329,663 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 431,479 shares during the quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Wendy’s were worth $3,020,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gradient Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 836,626 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $9,554,000 after purchasing an additional 48,736 shares during the last quarter. Blueshift Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Wendy’s in the second quarter worth $2,428,000. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in Wendy’s by 398.2% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 192,177 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,812,000 after buying an additional 153,604 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Wendy’s in the second quarter valued at $18,929,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Wendy’s in the second quarter valued at $448,000. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

Shares of WEN opened at $8.35 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.59 billion, a PE ratio of 8.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $8.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.69. The Wendy’s Company has a 52-week low of $7.83 and a 52-week high of $16.66.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $442.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $535.75 million. Wendy’s had a net margin of 8.43% and a return on equity of 125.74%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.25 EPS. Wendy’s has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.820-0.890 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is 59.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WEN has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $8.50 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $9.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. BTIG Research restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Mizuho assumed coverage on Wendy’s in a report on Monday, October 27th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $8.00 price target on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $10.57.

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.