Wendy’s attracts two activists

Article Excerpt

WENDY’S CO. $20 is a hold. The company (Nasdaq symbol WEN; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 214.3 million; Market cap: $4.3 billion; Dividend yield: 5.0%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.wendys.com) is a leading quick-service restaurant chain with more than 7,000 locations worldwide. Founder Dave Thomas named the burger chain after his daughter Wendy. Activist investor Trian Fund Management, Wendy’s largest shareholder with 16% of its shares, recently urged the company to explore a potential buyout by management or third parties. However, Trian decided against launching a takeover offer. A second activist, Blackwells Capital, now plans to nominate several directors to Wendy’s 12-member board. Wendy’s shares are down about 10% since the start of 2023, largely due to strong competition from McDonald’s and Shake Shack. We expect the involvement of these two activists will help the company improve its marketing and customer traffic. However, rising costs for food ingredients and labour add risk. Wendy’s is a hold. hold. …