Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 393,105 Shares of The Wendy’s Company $WEN

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) by 107.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 759,620 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 393,105 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Wendy’s were worth $6,958,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Investors Research Corp purchased a new stake in Wendy’s in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Wendy’s by 19,693.8% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 3,151 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 205.0% during the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,257 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 2,189 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 35.0% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,017 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,041 shares in the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WEN. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $9.00 price objective on Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. UBS Group lowered their target price on Wendy’s from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on Wendy’s from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Wendy’s currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $10.20.

Wendy’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — Wendy’s reported $0.16 EPS vs. consensus $0.14, showing some margin resilience despite traffic weakness. Wendy’s (WEN) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: International strength — global systemwide sales grew internationally (Q4 and full-year), providing a growth pocket outside the U.S. weakness. THE WENDY’S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOK
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term traffic promotions — deals (e.g., $1 burgers) and limited-time items could support near-term comp trends if they drive visits. Wendy’s celebrating ‘singles’ with $1 burgers on Feb. 15. See deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro backdrop steady — CPI came in roughly as expected today, suggesting inflation dynamics aren’t an immediate upside/downside surprise for consumer spending. CPI Increased in Line With Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/earnings context available — full earnings call transcript and multiple analyst takes provide detail but deliver mixed views on whether Wendy’s is a value opportunity or a value trap. The Wendy’s Company (WEN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Planned U.S. closures — management said it will close roughly 5–6% of U.S. restaurants in H1 2026 (about 240–360 locations), signaling structural problems in core U.S. markets. Wendy’s says as many as 350 US locations will close in the first half of this year
• Negative Sentiment: Weak FY26 guidance — Wendy’s set FY2026 EPS at $0.56–$0.60 vs. consensus ~$0.86, a sizable cut that pressures valuation and near‑term upside. THE WENDY’S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOK
• Negative Sentiment: Top-line weakness — Q4 revenue and systemwide sales declined (U.S. comps fell), and coverage notes the company’s U.S. struggles are expected to persist into FY26. Wendy’s Sales Dented by Persistent U.S. Struggles
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction context — shares hit a 52-week low amid a highly shorted profile, amplifying downside risk if U.S. trends don’t stabilize. Highly Shorted Stock Wendy’s Hits 52-Week Low On Weak Outlook

Wendy’s Trading Up 2.9%

NASDAQ WEN opened at $7.48 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.38. The Wendy’s Company has a fifty-two week low of $7.08 and a fifty-two week high of $16.20. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.81.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 125.74% and a net margin of 8.43%.The firm had revenue of $439.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $537.11 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.57%.

Wendy’s Company Profile

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.