The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives $20.36 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $20.36.

WEN has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $19.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Wendy’s from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Friday, November 1st. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $18.00 to $18.75 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th.

Wendy’s Price Performance

Wendy’s stock opened at $16.17 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.77. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $17.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.64, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 2.10. Wendy’s has a 1 year low of $15.61 and a 1 year high of $20.65.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.25. Wendy’s had a net margin of 8.76% and a return on equity of 70.02%. The business had revenue of $566.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $560.50 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.27 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Wendy’s will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.18%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 105.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the second quarter valued at $30,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Wendy’s during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Wendy’s by 168.1% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,233 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its position in Wendy’s by 94.7% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,644 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,286 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Wendy’s Company Profile

The Wendy's Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a quick-service restaurant company in the United States and internationally. It operates through Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International, and Global Real Estate & Development segments. The company is involved in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants specializing in hamburger sandwiches.