Jupiter Topco LLC Acquires New Position in The Wendy’s Company $WEN

Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 1,529,010 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $12,675,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WEN. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in Wendy’s during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Wendy’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Wendy’s during the first quarter worth $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 161.0% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,829 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 2,362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new position in shares of Wendy’s in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wendy’s Trading Up 5.8%

NASDAQ WEN opened at $8.27 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $7.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.46. The Wendy’s Company has a 12 month low of $6.07 and a 12 month high of $10.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.58 billion, a PE ratio of 12.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.95.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $570.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $557.13 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 115.31% and a net margin of 5.72%.The firm’s revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.29 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.5 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is 42.42%.

More Wendy’s News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wendy’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s shares are seeing a rebound as unusually high short interest raises the possibility of a short squeeze if buying momentum continues. The recovery appears more technical than fundamental, however. Wendy’s Climbs 4%, McDonald’s Ticks Up: Is Short Interest Setting Up a Squeeze in the Burger Trade?
• Positive Sentiment: New CEO Bob Wright is acknowledging Wendy’s recent mistakes and is developing a turnaround strategy that borrows elements from Burger King and McDonald’s. Potential improvements to operations, marketing, and the customer experience could support the stock over the longer term if execution improves. Wendy’s Is Losing Ground. Its CEO’s Turnaround Plan Borrows From Burger King and McDonald’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer coverage highlighting popular Wendy’s menu orders may help brand engagement but provides little information about near-term revenue, earnings, or valuation. 7 Best Orders at Wendy’s, According to Regulars
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Trian is not preparing a take-private offer caused investors to unwind takeover-related positions. Analysts argue that the acquisition premium has effectively disappeared, leaving Wendy’s stock to trade on its underlying business performance and turnaround prospects. Wendy’s Shares Tumble on Report Trian No Longer Preparing Take-Private Bid

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WEN has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Wendy’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Friday, July 17th. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $8.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $5.50 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Monday, August 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $7.76.

Wendy’s Company 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.