Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC Reduces Position in The Wendy’s Company $WEN

Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) by 22.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 359,896 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 106,525 shares during the quarter. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Wendy’s were worth $2,998,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Wendy’s in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 161.0% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,829 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 2,362 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 74,800.0% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 7,490 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 7,480 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 55.4% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 8,392 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 2,992 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 53.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 8,629 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 2,994 shares during the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

WEN opened at $6.71 on Wednesday. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of $7.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.67. The Wendy’s Company has a 1 year low of $6.37 and a 1 year high of $12.51. The stock has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.38.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $432.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $518.03 million. Wendy’s had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 136.46%. The business’s revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.20 EPS. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.3%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 71.79%.

Wendy’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s launched a Minions & Monsters promotional campaign featuring co-branded meals, new menu items, collectible toys, and a new banana-themed Frosty creation, which could boost customer interest and near-term sales. Wendy’s Partners With ‘Minions’ Franchise On Co-Branded Meals
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted strong consumer buzz around Wendy’s new limited-time meal and Frosty variant, suggesting the chain may be trying to drive engagement with a fresh value proposition. Wendys Unveils a New Meal and a First-Ever Frosty Creation Is This the Best Fast-Food Value of the Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage about short interest showed no meaningful new information, with reported short interest at zero shares, so it is unlikely to be a material driver for the stock today.
• Negative Sentiment: An analysis piece said Wendy’s self-service kiosks are creating customer-service issues, which could weigh on investor sentiment if the rollout hurts satisfaction or speeds up traffic declines. Analysis: Wendy’s kiosks create a customer-service problem

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WEN has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $6.00 price objective (down from $7.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Monday, May 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Evercore set a $8.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $7.25 to $7.75 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $8.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Wendy’s currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $8.56.

About Wendy’s

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.