Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN) Reaches New 52-Week Low at $16.01

The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $16.01 and last traded at $16.02, with a volume of 808635 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WEN shares. Stephens reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Wendy's in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Wendy's from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, June 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Wendy's in a research note on Thursday, June 13th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Wendy's from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Wendy's from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $21.79.

Wendy's Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.21. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $17.54 and a 200 day moving average of $18.43. The company has a market capitalization of $3.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.76.

Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The restaurant operator reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.02. Wendy's had a return on equity of 62.68% and a net margin of 9.44%. The firm had revenue of $534.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $540.84 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.21 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that The Wendy's Company will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Wendy's Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 3rd were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 3rd. Wendy's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 101.01%.

Insider Transactions at Wendy's

In other news, CMO Juan Carlos Loredo sold 44,806 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.50, for a total transaction of $873,717.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 27,586 shares of the company's stock, valued at $537,927. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 17.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy's

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Wendy's during the first quarter worth $44,000. Burney Co. grew its holdings in Wendy's by 12.8% during the first quarter. Burney Co. now owns 62,168 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,171,000 after buying an additional 7,078 shares in the last quarter. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Wendy's during the first quarter worth $119,000. Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in Wendy's by 10.9% in the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 16,079 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $303,000 after purchasing an additional 1,577 shares during the period. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its stake in Wendy's by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,321,275 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $62,571,000 after purchasing an additional 68,356 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company's stock.

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.