492,672 Shares in The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Bought by ExodusPoint Capital Management LP

ExodusPoint Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 492,672 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $8,031,000. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP owned about 0.24% of Wendy’s as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Wendy’s by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 92,132 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,614,000 after acquiring an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in Wendy’s by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 555,980 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $9,741,000 after purchasing an additional 14,889 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 42.5% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 139,425 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,443,000 after purchasing an additional 41,616 shares in the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Wendy’s in the third quarter worth $438,000. Finally, Centiva Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the third quarter valued at $761,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Wendy’s Trading Down 5.5 %

NASDAQ:WEN opened at $13.30 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $14.97 and its 200-day moving average is $16.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.48. The Wendy’s Company has a 12 month low of $13.22 and a 12 month high of $20.65. The firm has a market cap of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.61.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. Wendy’s had a net margin of 8.65% and a return on equity of 75.56%. The firm had revenue of $574.27 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $564.17 million. Equities analysts anticipate that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.52%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 105.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $15.00 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $14.00 price objective (down from $22.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $18.08.

About Wendy’s

The Wendy’s Co engages in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Wendy’s U.S., Wendy’s International, and Global Real Estate and Development. The Wendy’s U.S. segment includes the operation and franchising of Wendy’s restaurants in the U.S.