UBS Group Lowers Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target to $17.00

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) had its price target cut by UBS Group from $20.00 to $17.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $20.00 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Friday, November 1st. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $18.00 to $18.75 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $20.14.

Wendy’s Price Performance

NASDAQ:WEN opened at $15.39 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $3.14 billion, a PE ratio of 16.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.78. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $17.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.54. The company has a quick ratio of 2.08, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.64. Wendy’s has a 12 month low of $15.12 and a 12 month high of $20.65.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25. The firm had revenue of $566.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $560.50 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 70.02% and a net margin of 8.76%. The business’s revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.27 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Wendy’s will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 105.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WEN. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s in the second quarter valued at $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position 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 buying an additional 1,400 shares during the period. AM Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Wendy’s in the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 39.6% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,690 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 1,046 shares during the period. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Wendy’s

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.