Wendys Co (WEN): Hedge Fund Ownership & Smart Money Signals (Q1 2026)

Q: Is it too late to buy Wendys Co (WEN) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, WEN has moved -15.3% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +1.9% for the XLY sector ETF — an outperformance of -17.2%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), WEN gained -1.7% vs +8.9% for XLY. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Wendys Co (WEN)

407 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in WEN. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Smart Money Signals — WEN

Based on 408 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q

For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their WEN positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

🏔️

At the ownership peak (96% of max)

96% of all-time peak

408 hedge funds hold WEN right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.

📉

Outflows — 4% fewer funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q

18 fewer hedge funds hold WEN compared to a year ago (-4% decline). When institutions consistently reduce their exposure, it's worth exploring the underlying fundamental reasons driving them away.

🟠

More sellers than buyers — 49% buying

219 buying230 selling

Last quarter: 230 funds reduced or exited vs 219 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.

⚠️

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-29 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter

Funds opening this position for the first time: 63 → 75 → 102 → 73. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.

🔒

59% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 59% conviction (2yr+) ■ 20% medium ■ 21% new

242 out of 408 hedge funds have held WEN for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

💎

Buying through price weakness — shares -1%, value -18%

Value

-18%

-1%

Last quarter: funds added -1% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -18%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.

📈

Growing discovery — still being found

77 → 63 → 75 → 102 → 73 new funds/Q

New funds entering each quarter: 63 → 75 → 102 → 73. A growing number of institutions are discovering WEN each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.

🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 66% veterans vs 23% newcomers

■ 66% veterans ■ 11% 1-2yr ■ 23% new

Entry-cohort mix of 431 holders: 284 (66%) are 2+ year veterans, 47 entered 1–2 years ago, and 100 (23%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.

✅

Strong quality — 39% AUM from major funds

39% from top-100 AUM funds

50 of 403 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 39% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

3.4

out of 10

Low Exit Risk

Exit risk score 3.4/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Metric	All 13F Filers (2026 Q1)	Prior (2025 Q4)	Change
Funds Holding	407	426	-4.46%
13F Shares	200M	203M	-1.3%
Total Value	$1.38B	$1.69B	-18.46%
New Positions	72	102	-30
Increased Positions	139	146	-7
Closed Positions	91	75	+16
Reduced Positions	133	128	+5
Total Calls	15	16	-6.25%
Total Puts	12	11	9.09%
PUT/CALL Ratio	0.8	0.69	Neutral

Metric

All 13F Filers (2026 Q1)

Prior (2025 Q4)

Change

Funds Holding

407

426

-4.46%

13F Shares

200M

203M

-1.3%

Total Value

$1.38B

$1.69B

-18.46%

New Positions

102

-30

Increased Positions

139

146

-7

Closed Positions

+16

Reduced Positions

133

128

Total Calls

-6.25%

Total Puts

9.09%

PUT/CALL Ratio

0.8

0.69

Neutral

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

407 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in WEN. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:

FILTER:All New Added To Reduced No Change | Overweight >5%

Top 25 WEN holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
#	Investor	% of Portfolio	Shares	Mkt Value
1	Trian Fund Management, L.P.	5.48%	30,446,022	$211.6M
2	Soviero Asset Management, LP	1.63%	470,000	$3.3M
3	Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd/ Can	1.17%	3,268,902	$22.8M
4	Soviero Asset Management, LP	1.04%	300,000	$2.1M
5	Bayesian Capital Management, LP	0.86%	101,100	$703K
6	Oasis Management Co Ltd.	0.61%	1,511,903	$10.5M
7	Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC	0.57%	1,586,865	$11.0M
8	Bridgefront Capital, LLC	0.38%	220,950	$1.5M
9	A&I Financial Services, LLC	0.28%	84,065	$584K
10	Sound Income Strategies, LLC	0.26%	771,376	$5.3M
11	VARCOV Co.	0.23%	87,285	$607K
12	Landscape Capital Management, L.L.C.	0.20%	456,908	$3.2M
13	Crawford Fund Management, LLC	0.20%	150,000	$1.0M
14	Legacy Capital Group California, Inc.	0.16%	61,686	$429K
15	Boyar Asset Management INC.	0.10%	25,742	$179K
16	Caption Management, LLC	0.10%	2,500,000	$17.4M
17	Advisors Asset Management, Inc.	0.10%	872,223	$6.1M
18	Atom Investors LP	0.10%	193,270	$1.3M
19	Optimist Retirement Group LLC	0.10%	31,051	$216K
20	Barnett & Company, Inc.	0.09%	16,600	$115K
21	NCM Capital Management, LLC	0.08%	31,534	$219K
22	Lecap Asset Management Ltd	0.08%	29,697	$206K
23	Frec Markets, Inc.	0.08%	65,042	$452K
24	Axq Capital, LP	0.08%	85,606	$595K
25	SummitTX Capital, L.P.	0.07%	331,076	$2.3M

Investor	Ownership History	% of Portfolio	Prev %	Rank	Conviction	Avg Buy Price	13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y	Sell Timing	Shares	Mkt Value	Change	Change %	Source	Quarter	Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Wendys Co (WEN)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for WEN?

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their WEN positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for WEN?

More sellers than buyers — 49% buying: Last quarter: 230 funds reduced or exited vs 219 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.

What is the fund quality score for WEN holders?

Strong quality — 39% AUM from major funds: 50 of 403 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 39% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held WEN?

59% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 242 out of 408 hedge funds have held WEN for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Wendys Co (WEN) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, WEN has moved -15.3% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +1.9% for the XLY sector ETF — an outperformance of -17.2%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), WEN has gained -1.7% vs +8.9% for XLY. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

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Wendys Co (WEN)

Smart Money Signals — WEN

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

At the ownership peak (96% of max)

Outflows — 4% fewer funds vs a year ago

More sellers than buyers — 49% buying

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-29 vs last Q)

59% of holders stayed for 2+ years

Buying through price weakness — shares -1%, value -18%

Growing discovery — still being found

Veteran-anchored — 66% veterans vs 23% newcomers

Strong quality — 39% AUM from major funds

Institutional Sentiment Summary — WEN

Hedge Fund Ownership: WEN

Market Analysis: WEN

Analyst Price Targets

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Company Profile: WEN

Is It Too Late to Buy Wendys Co (WEN) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Hedge Fund Positioning: WEN

Statistics: WEN

Valuation Measures Data as of: --

Financial Highlights

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

Frequently Asked Questions — Wendys Co (WEN)

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