First Trust Advisors LP Sells 304,079 Shares of The Wendy’s Company $WEN

First Trust Advisors LP cut its holdings in shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) by 46.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 348,246 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 304,079 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned approximately 0.18% of Wendy’s worth $2,420,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WEN. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in shares of Wendy’s in the first quarter valued at approximately $161,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Wendy’s by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 639,085 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $9,350,000 after buying an additional 11,072 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Wendy’s by 35.0% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 15,687 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $179,000 after buying an additional 4,067 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in Wendy’s by 136.9% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 27,776 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $318,000 after buying an additional 16,053 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in Wendy’s by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 16,987 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $194,000 after buying an additional 1,310 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Wendy’s Stock Up 4.1%

WEN opened at $7.69 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $7.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.81. The Wendy’s Company has a one year low of $6.07 and a one year high of $10.84.

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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $557.13 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 136.46% and a net margin of 6.77%.The firm’s revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.29 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.79%.

Trending Headlines about Wendy’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.18, exceeding the $0.16 analyst consensus. Revenue reached approximately $571 million, while adjusted EBITDA was $124.1 million and first-half free cash flow was $120.3 million. The Wendy’s Company Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: New leadership is developing a comprehensive turnaround focused on menu improvements, stronger marketing, and better brand value. Management’s willingness to address underperformance may have encouraged some investors despite the difficult quarter. Wendy’s Cuts Dividend and Pulls Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: A widely reported story about Wendy’s managers helping a worker attend Yale highlights a positive community and employee-brand narrative, but it is unlikely to materially affect WEN’s financial outlook. Wendy’s Worker Heading to Yale
• Negative Sentiment: Global systemwide sales fell 6.5% year over year, including an 8.2% decline in the U.S.; U.S. same-restaurant sales dropped 7.0%. The weakness reflects lower traffic and continued brand pressure. Wendy’s Takes Steps to Fix Its Brand
• Negative Sentiment: Wendy’s withdrew its 2026 outlook and cut its dividend in half to preserve resources for the turnaround. The decision reduces near-term income appeal and signals that management lacks confidence in current-year visibility. Wendy’s Withdraws Outlook and Cuts Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Burger King overtook Wendy’s as the second-largest U.S. burger chain by systemwide sales, underscoring the competitive challenge facing the brand. Burger King Overtakes Wendy’s

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho set a $6.00 target price on Wendy’s in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $6.00 price objective on Wendy’s in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Wendy’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Argus upgraded Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $7.78.

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.