We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best Dividend Stocks Under $25. In this article, we are going to take a look at where The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) stands against the other dividend stocks under $25.
Dividend stocks have remained important for investors, standing the test of time regardless of the market conditions. Dividends have historically contributed approximately one-third of the market’s total return since 1960. Among dividend strategies, investors tend to favor those that emphasize dividend growth over high yield. One of the main reasons for this inclination is that as these companies show more tangible results, investors gain confidence from seeing improvements in free cash flow, earnings, and dividend growth during a recovery, compared to more speculative options. In addition, as interest rates decrease with Federal Reserve rate cuts in an economic recovery, yield-oriented investors shift their investments from cash to dividend-paying stocks.
According to analysts, due to volatile economic conditions since 2020 and ongoing market uncertainties affecting corporate earnings, high-yielding companies lacking strong financial stability and discipline may face challenges sustaining future dividend payouts. These companies could be vulnerable to potential dividend cuts or suspensions. On the other hand, dividend growth strategies have demonstrated their effectiveness in both rising and falling interest rate periods. The Dividend Aristocrats index, which tracks the performance of companies with at least 25 consecutive years of dividend growth, delivered a 14.26% return during the falling interest rates period between May 2005 and March 2024, while high dividend stocks underperformed with over 10% return, according to a report ProShares. Similarly, in the rising interest rates period between this timeframe, dividend growers returned 10.26%, with high dividend stocks returning 9.22%. To learn more about dividend growth stocks, readers should have a look at Dividend Zombies and Kings with Longest Dividend Payouts.
Dividend growth strategies offer potential solutions to the challenges faced by high dividend-paying stocks in a rising-rate environment in two main ways. By prioritizing dividend increases over high yields, dividend growth stocks are less influenced by the value factor, which typically affects high dividend payers. This resilience allows dividend growth stocks to perform better in growth-oriented markets.
Given investors’ penchant for dividend-paying companies, businesses worldwide are consistently rewarding shareholders with dividends. According to Janus Henderson, dividends rose by 5% in 2023 to $1.66 trillion, marking the third consecutive year of record highs following a brief dip in payouts during the pandemic in 2020. The fund manager expects total dividends to reach a new peak of $1.72 trillion, reflecting a 3.9% increase on a headline basis. The payments indicate that balance sheets remain strong, despite a global economic downturn and increased costs associated with servicing debt. It also underscores the advantages for the banking sector of higher interest rates. Nearly half of last year’s dividend growth came from banks, which rewarded shareholders after experiencing a significant increase in profits from lending activities.
Our Methodology:
For this list, we used a stock screener to find dividend stocks trading below $25 as of June 21. From the initial list, we selected companies with dividend yields above 2% and a history of regular dividend payments, indicating sustainable dividends. Finally, we narrowed it down to 12 stocks that had the highest number of hedge fund investors, as tracked by Insider Monkey in Q1 2024. Hedge funds aren’t dividend investors; they invest in stocks for capital gains. Essentially, our list presents the best dividend stocks under $25 that have the potential to deliver large capital gains. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
A closeup of a juicy hamburger sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce, on a sesame bun.
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 22
Share Price as of June 21: $16.4
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) is an Ohio-based fast food restaurant company that is mainly known for its square hamburgers. The company has benefitted a lot from its customer-centric approach that supports its ability to drive shareholder value for the long term. It currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 6%, as of June 21. It returned over $53 million to shareholders through dividends in the first quarter of 2024.
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) achieved global same-restaurant sales growth, increasing by 120 basis points over two years compared to the previous quarter. This growth was partly fueled by high-single-digit YoY sales growth in the US sales growth in the US breakfast sales and a nearly 17% contribution from global digital sales. This strong performance led to a 60 basis point improvement in the margin of the US company-operated restaurants compared to the previous year, highlighting the success of these profitable initiatives. Breakfast has always been a big part of the company’s growth strategy. It has increased investments in its breakfast advertising in the first quarter of 2024.
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) plans to expand quickly and increase its global presence. The company and its franchisees employ thousands of people across more than 7,000 restaurants globally, with the goal of becoming the world’s most successful and beloved restaurant brand. The company plans to increase its number of restaurants to as many as 9,000 by the end of 2025. We think that it has the potential to accelerate its growth by expanding its smaller restaurant base and increasing its share of the breakfast menu as the company is currently putting a lot of money into its breakfast segment.
As of the end of Q1 2024, 22 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN), down slightly from 23 in the preceding quarter. These stakes are collectively valued at over $844.3 million. With nearly 4 million shares, AQR Capital Management was one of the company’s leading stakeholders in Q1.
Overall WEN ranks 7th on our list of the best dividend stocks to buy under $25. You can visit 12 Best Dividend Stocks Under $25 to see the other dividend stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential of WEN as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued dividend stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued dividend stock that is more promising than WEN but that trades at less than 7 times its earnings and yields nearly 10%, check out our report about the dirt cheap dividend stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
