Advisors Asset Management Inc. Purchases 74,434 Shares of The Wendy’s Company $WEN

Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) by 17.0% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 512,405 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 74,434 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Wendy’s were worth $4,694,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WEN. Alps Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 71.7% during the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 634,304 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,810,000 after buying an additional 264,905 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Wendy’s during the third quarter worth about $498,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in Wendy’s by 43.5% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 28,264 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 8,567 shares during the period. AGF Management Ltd. raised its stake in Wendy’s by 17.6% in the 3rd quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 318,960 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,922,000 after purchasing an additional 47,646 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Wendy’s by 121.8% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 20,291 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $187,000 after purchasing an additional 11,142 shares during the period. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WEN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Wendy’s from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays cut their target price on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $8.50 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $9.00 price target on Wendy’s in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Wendy’s currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $10.20.

Trending Headlines about Wendy’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — Wendy’s reported $0.16 EPS vs. consensus $0.14, showing some margin resilience despite traffic weakness. Wendy’s (WEN) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: International strength — global systemwide sales grew internationally (Q4 and full-year), providing a growth pocket outside the U.S. weakness. THE WENDY’S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOK
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term traffic promotions — deals (e.g., $1 burgers) and limited-time items could support near-term comp trends if they drive visits. Wendy’s celebrating ‘singles’ with $1 burgers on Feb. 15. See deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro backdrop steady — CPI came in roughly as expected today, suggesting inflation dynamics aren’t an immediate upside/downside surprise for consumer spending. CPI Increased in Line With Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/earnings context available — full earnings call transcript and multiple analyst takes provide detail but deliver mixed views on whether Wendy’s is a value opportunity or a value trap. The Wendy’s Company (WEN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Planned U.S. closures — management said it will close roughly 5–6% of U.S. restaurants in H1 2026 (about 240–360 locations), signaling structural problems in core U.S. markets. Wendy’s says as many as 350 US locations will close in the first half of this year
• Negative Sentiment: Weak FY26 guidance — Wendy’s set FY2026 EPS at $0.56–$0.60 vs. consensus ~$0.86, a sizable cut that pressures valuation and near‑term upside. THE WENDY’S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOK
• Negative Sentiment: Top-line weakness — Q4 revenue and systemwide sales declined (U.S. comps fell), and coverage notes the company’s U.S. struggles are expected to persist into FY26. Wendy’s Sales Dented by Persistent U.S. Struggles
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction context — shares hit a 52-week low amid a highly shorted profile, amplifying downside risk if U.S. trends don’t stabilize. Highly Shorted Stock Wendy’s Hits 52-Week Low On Weak Outlook

Wendy’s Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of WEN stock opened at $7.48 on Friday. The Wendy’s Company has a fifty-two week low of $7.08 and a fifty-two week high of $16.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.94. The company has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.96, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.38.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $439.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $537.11 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 125.74% and a net margin of 8.43%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.25 EPS. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. Research analysts forecast that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Wendy’s’s payout ratio is 59.57%.

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.