DUBLIN, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) today reported unaudited results for the third quarter ended October 1, 2017.

"We have now recorded 19 consecutive quarters of positive same-restaurant sales, a streak that is unmatched in the current QSR hamburger category and speaks to the strength and relevance of our brand," President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Penegor said. "We also remain encouraged by the progress being made on our global footprint expansion with 110 year-to-date openings, which is almost 30 restaurants ahead of our pace at this point in 2016. As we lap the effects from system optimization, our improved quality of earnings continues to provide positive benefits through significantly increased cash flows and resiliency in our bottom line. Our relentless focus on executing every element of The Wendy's Way by providing food our customers love, friendly service, value, and an inviting atmosphere will continue to drive growth in the future."

Third Quarter 2017 Summary
See "Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the reconciliation tables that accompany this release for a discussion and reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures included in this release.



    Operational Highlights                       Three Months Ended     Nine Months Ended


                                                     October 1,             October 2,          October 1,           October 2,
                                                                   2017                    2016                 2017                  2016
                                                                   ----                    ----                 ----                  ----


                                                    (Unaudited)            (Unaudited)


    North America Same-Restaurant Sales                            2.0%                   1.4%                2.3%                 1.8%
    Growth(1)
    --------


    Global Restaurant Openings (Total / Net)
    ----------------------------------------

    North America                                               29 / 12                28 / 13              57 / 7              65 / 19

    International                                               13 / 10                  5 / 0             53 / 42               17 / 5

    Global Restaurant Openings                                  42 / 22                33 / 13            110 / 49              82 / 24


    Global Systemwide Sales (In US$ Millions)(2)
    -------------------------------------------

    North America                                              $2,506.0                $2,426.8             $7,365.3              $7,129.0

    International(3)                                             $119.4                  $106.9               $351.6                $309.6

    Global Systemwide Sales                                    $2,625.4                $2,533.7             $7,716.9              $7,438.6



    Operational Highlights (Continued)                                                                Three Months Ended                          Nine Months Ended


                                                                                                          October 1,                                  October 2,                                  October 1,            October 2,
                                                                                                                        2017                                         2016                                         2017                2016
                                                                                                                        ----                                         ----                                         ----                ----


                                                                                                         (Unaudited)                                 (Unaudited)


    Global Systemwide Sales Growth(1)
    --------------------------------

    North America                                                                                                       3.0%                                        1.8%                                        3.2%               2.9%

    International(3)                                                                                                   13.4%                                        9.0%                                       15.0%               4.1%

    Global Systemwide Sales Growth                                                                                      3.4%                                        2.1%                                        3.7%               3.0%


    (1) Same-restaurant sales growth and systemwide sales growth are calculated on a constant currency basis and include sales by both Company-operated and franchise restaurants.

    (2) Systemwide sales include sales at both Company-operated and franchise restaurants. Sales by franchise restaurants are not recorded as Company revenues. However, the Company's royalty revenues are computed as
     percentages of sales made by franchisees and, as a result, sales by franchisees have a direct effect on the Company's royalty revenues and therefore on the Company's profitability.

    (3) Excludes Venezuela.

The Company estimates that the hurricanes in the U.S. negatively impacted North America system same-restaurant sales by approximately 30 to 40 basis-points in the third quarter.

Financial Highlights


    --  Total revenues were $308.0 million in the third quarter of 2017,
        compared to $364.0 million in the third quarter of 2016. The 15.4
        percent decrease resulted primarily from the ownership of 249 fewer
        Company-operated restaurants at the end of the third quarter 2017
        compared to the beginning of the third quarter 2016, which resulted in
        fewer sales at Company-operated restaurants and a year-over-year
        decrease in franchise fees, partly offset by higher franchise royalty
        revenue and franchise rental income. The year-over-year decrease in
        franchise fees resulted primarily from prior year system optimization
        activity, including the sale of 156 Company-operated restaurants and 18
        Buy and Flips, with no similar activity occurring in the third quarter
        of 2017.
    --  Company-operated restaurant margin was 16.7 percent in the third quarter
        of 2017, compared to 18.4 percent in the third quarter of 2016. The 170
        basis-point decrease was primarily the result of higher commodity costs.
    --  General and administrative expense was $53.0 million in the third
        quarter of 2017, compared to $58.9 million in the third quarter of 2016.
        The 10.1 percent decrease resulted primarily from lower professional
        fees and cost savings related to the Company's system optimization
        initiative.
    --  Operating profit was $61.7 million in the third quarter of 2017,
        compared to $106.1 million in the third quarter of 2016. The 41.9
        percent decrease resulted primarily from a year-over-year decrease in
        gains from the Company's system optimization initiative, in addition to
        the items discussed above.
    --  Net income was $14.3 million in the third quarter of 2017, compared to
        net income of $48.9 million in the third quarter of 2016. The
        year-over-year decrease of 70.8 percent resulted primarily from the
        items discussed above, in addition to an increase in the effective tax
        rate.
    --  Adjusted EBITDA was $96.9 million in the third quarter of 2017, compared
        to $100.2 million in the third quarter of 2016. The 3.3 percent decrease
        resulted primarily from lower franchise fees due to the significant
        amount of system optimization and Buy and Flip transactions that
        occurred in the prior year and a year-over-year decrease in
        Company-operated restaurant margin, partially offset by general and
        administrative expense savings.
    --  Adjusted EBITDA margin (adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenues) was
        31.5 percent in the third quarter of 2017, compared to 27.5 percent in
        the third quarter of 2016. The 400 basis-point improvement reflects the
        positive impact of the Company's system optimization initiative.
    --  Reported diluted earnings per share were $0.06 in the third quarter of
        2017, compared to $0.18 in the third quarter of 2016.
    --  Adjusted earnings per share were $0.09 in the third quarter of 2017,
        compared to $0.11 in the third quarter of 2016. The 18.2 percent
        decrease resulted primarily from the items discussed above and reflects
        a 4.9 percent year-over-year reduction in the weighted average diluted
        shares outstanding.
    --  Year-to-date cash flows from operations through the third quarter of
        2017 were $176.7 million, compared to $137.3 million through the third
        quarter of 2016. The 28.7 percent increase was the result of an increase
        in net income adjusted for non-cash expenses and a favorable change in
        working capital.
    --  Year-to-date capital expenditures through the third quarter of 2017 were
        $53.7 million, compared to $108.7 million through the third quarter of
        2016.
    --  Year-to-date free cash flow (cash flows from operations minus capital
        expenditures) through the third quarter of 2017 was $123.0 million,
        compared to $28.6 million through the third quarter of 2016. The 330.6
        percent increase resulted primarily from a year-over-year decrease in
        capital expenditures, in addition to the items discussed above.

Image Activation
Image Activation, which includes reimaging existing restaurants and building new restaurants, remains an integral part of our global growth strategy. With 39 percent of the global system featuring the new image, the Company continues to expect that approximately 42 percent of the global system will be image activated by the end of 2017. The Company is now expecting 2017 net new unit growth of approximately 0.5 percent to 1 percent in North America and approximately 14 percent internationally.

Franchisee-to-franchisee restaurant transfers
The Company continues to facilitate franchisee-to-franchisee restaurant transfers ("Buy and Flips") to ensure that restaurants are operated by well-capitalized franchisees that are committed to long-term growth. During the third quarter, the Company did not facilitate any Buy and Flips but has facilitated 410 year-to-date and now expects to complete approximately 500 to 550 in 2017, which is an increase from the previous outlook of approximately 475.

Company repurchases 2.5 million shares for $38.4 million in third quarter
The Company repurchased 2.5 million shares for $38.4 million in the third quarter at an average price of $15.25 per share. As of the end of the quarter, the Company had approximately $59 million remaining on its existing $150 million share repurchase authorization, which expires March 4, 2018.

2017 outlook
This release includes forward-looking guidance for certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted tax rate. The Company excludes certain expenses and benefits from adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted tax rate, such as impairment of long-lived assets, reorganization and realignment costs and system optimization gains, net. Due to the uncertainty and variability of the nature and amount of those expenses and benefits, the Company is unable without unreasonable effort to provide projections of net income, earnings per share or reported tax rate or a reconciliation of projected adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share or adjusted tax rate to projected net income, earnings per share or reported tax rate.

During 2017, the Company now expects:


    --  Same-restaurant sales growth of approximately 2.0 to 2.5 percent for the
        North America system.
    --  Company-operated restaurant margin of approximately 17.5 to 18.0
        percent.
    --  An adjusted tax rate of approximately 34 to 36 percent.
    --  Adjusted earnings per share of approximately $0.43 to $0.45, an increase
        of approximately 7.5 to 12.5 percent compared to 2016.
    --  Cash flows from operations of approximately $250 to $265 million.
    --  Capital expenditures of approximately $80 to $85 million.
    --  Free cash flow of approximately $170 to $180 million, an increase of
        greater than 400 percent compared to 2016.

In addition, the Company continues to expect:


    --  Commodity cost inflation of approximately 3 to 4 percent compared to
        2016.
    --  Labor inflation of approximately 4 percent.
    --  General and administrative expense at the low end of its previously
        issued range of approximately $210 to $220 million.
    --  Net franchise rental income of approximately $100 to $105 million (gross
        rental income of approximately $190 to $195 million).
    --  Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $404 to $410 million, an increase of
        approximately 3 to 5 percent compared to 2016.
    --  Adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 32 to 34 percent.
    --  Interest expense of approximately $115 to $120 million.
    --  Depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $120 to $125
        million, including accelerated depreciation of approximately $1 million.

Company on track to achieve 2020 goals
The Company continues to expect to achieve the following goals by the end of 2020:


    --  Global systemwide sales (in constant currency and excluding Venezuela)
        of ~$12 billion.
    --  Global restaurant count of ~7,500.
    --  Global Image Activation of at least 70 percent.
    --  Adjusted EBITDA margin of 38 to 40 percent.
    --  Free cash flow of ~$275 million (capital expenditures of ~$65 million).

Conference call and webcast scheduled for 9:00 a.m. today, November 8
The Company will host a conference call today at 9 a.m. ET, with a simultaneous webcast from the Investors section of the Company's website at www.aboutwendys.com. The live conference call will be available at (877) 572-6014 or, for international callers, at (281) 913-8524. An archived webcast will be available on the Company's website at www.aboutwendys.com.

Forward-looking statements
This news release contains certain statements that are not historical facts, including, most importantly, information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations of The Wendy's Company and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") and the Company's stated 2020 goals. Those statements, as well as statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "may," "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," or the negation thereof, or similar expressions, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). In addition, all statements that address future operating, financial or business performance; strategies, initiatives or expectations; future synergies, efficiencies or overhead savings; anticipated costs or charges; future capitalization; and anticipated financial impacts of recent or pending transactions are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Reform Act. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company's expectations at the time, speak only as of the dates they are made and are susceptible to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Company's actual results, performance and achievements may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. For all forward-looking statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. Many important factors could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately, and many of which are beyond the Company's control, include, but are not limited to:

(1) changes in the quick-service restaurant industry, such as consumer trends toward value-oriented products and promotions or toward consuming fewer meals away from home;
(2) prevailing economic, market and business conditions affecting the Company, including competition from other food service providers, unemployment and decreased consumer spending levels;
(3) the ability to effectively manage the acquisition and disposition of restaurants;
(4) cost and availability of capital;
(5) cost fluctuations associated with food, supplies, energy, fuel, distribution or labor;
(6) the financial condition of the Company's franchisees;
(7) food safety events, including instances of food-borne illness involving the Company or its supply chain;
(8) conditions beyond the Company's control such as weather, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics impacting the Company's customers or food supplies, or acts of war or terrorism;
(9) risks associated with failures, interruptions or security breaches of the Company's computer systems or technology, or the occurrence of cyber incidents or a deficiency in cyber security that impacts the Company or its franchisees, including the cybersecurity incident previously announced;
(10) the effects of negative publicity that can occur from increased use of social media;
(11) the availability of suitable locations and terms for the development of new restaurants;
(12) risks associated with the Image Activation program;
(13) adoption of new, or changes in, laws, regulations or accounting standards (including the amended guidance for revenue recognition that is expected to become effective for fiscal 2018 and that may impact the Company's adjusted EBITDA margin goal for 2020, as well as the new guidance on leases that will become effective for fiscal 2019), policies and practices;
(14) changes in debt, equity and securities markets;
(15) goodwill and long-lived asset impairments;
(16) changes in interest rates;
(17) the difficulty in predicting the ultimate costs associated with the sale of Company-operated restaurants to franchisees, including the impact of the sale of restaurants on ongoing operations, any tax impact from the sale of restaurants and the future impact to the Company's earnings, restaurant operating margins, cash flow and depreciation;
(18) the difficulty in predicting the ultimate costs that will be incurred in connection with the Company's plan to reduce its general and administrative expense, and the future impact on the Company's earnings;
(19) risks associated with the Company's debt refinancing, including the ability to generate sufficient cash flow to meet increased debt service obligations, compliance with operational and financial covenants, and restrictions on the Company's ability to raise additional capital;
(20) risks associated with the amount and timing of share repurchases under the $150 million share repurchase program approved by the Board of Directors; and
(21) other factors cited in the Company's news releases, public statements and/or filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those identified in the "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's Forms 10-K and 10-Q.

The Company's franchisees are independent third parties that the Company does not control. Numerous factors beyond the control of the Company and its franchisees may affect new restaurant openings. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that commitments under development agreements with franchisees will result in new restaurant openings. In addition, numerous factors beyond the control of the Company and its franchisees may affect franchisees' ability to reimage existing restaurants in accordance with the Company's expectations.

All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to above. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company to predict these events or their impact.

The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by federal securities laws. The Company does not endorse any projections regarding future performance that may be made by third parties.

Disclosure regarding non-GAAP financial measures
In addition to the GAAP financial measures presented in this release, the Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release, including adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted tax rate and systemwide sales. Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted tax rate exclude certain expenses and benefits as detailed in the reconciliation tables that accompany this release. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures as internal measures of business operating performance and as performance measures for benchmarking against the Company's peers and competitors. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per share are also used by the Company in establishing performance goals for purposes of executive compensation.

The Company believes its presentation of adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted tax rate and systemwide sales provides a meaningful perspective of the underlying operating performance of our current business and enables investors to better understand and evaluate our historical and prospective operating performance. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are important supplemental measures of operating performance because they eliminate items that vary from period to period without correlation to our core operating performance and highlight trends in our business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP financial measures. Due to the nature and/or size of the items being excluded, such items do not reflect future gains, losses, expenses or benefits and are not indicative of our future operating performance. The Company believes investors, analysts and other interested parties use adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted tax rate and systemwide sales in evaluating issuers, and the presentation of these measures facilitates a comparative assessment of the Company's operating performance in addition to the Company's performance based on GAAP results.

This release also includes guidance regarding the Company's free cash flow. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that is used by the Company as an internal measure of liquidity. The Company defines free cash flow as cash flows from operations minus capital expenditures, both as reported under GAAP. The Company believes free cash flow is an important liquidity measure for investors and other interested persons because it communicates how much cash flow is available for working capital needs or to be used for repurchasing shares, paying dividends, repaying or refinancing debt, financing possible acquisitions or investments or other uses of cash.

Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted tax rate, free cash flow and systemwide sales are not recognized terms under U.S. General Accepted Accounting Principles, and the Company's presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures does not replace the presentation of the Company's financial results in accordance with GAAP. Because all companies do not calculate adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted tax rate, free cash flow and systemwide sales (and similarly titled financial measures) in the same way, those measures as used by other companies may not be consistent with the way the Company calculates such measures. The non-GAAP financial measures included in this release should not be construed as substitutes for or better indicators of the Company's performance than the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Key business measures
The Company tracks its results of operations and manages its business using certain key business measures, including same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales, which are measures commonly used in the quick-service restaurant industry that are important to understanding Company performance. Same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales each include sales by both Company-operated and franchise restaurants. The Company reports same-restaurant sales for new restaurants after they have been open for 15 continuous months and for reimaged restaurants as soon as they reopen.

Sales by franchise restaurants are not recorded as Company revenues and are not included in the Company's consolidated financial statements. However, the Company's royalty revenues are computed as percentages of sales made by Wendy's franchisees and, as a result, sales by franchisees have a direct effect on the Company's royalty revenues and therefore on the Company's profitability.

About The Wendy's Company
The Wendy's Company is the world's third-largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy's system includes approximately 6,500 franchise and Company-operated restaurants in the United States and 30 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.aboutwendys.com.



                                   
    The Wendy's Company and Subsidiaries
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    Three and Nine Month Periods Ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016
    (In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)
    (Unaudited)


                                                                                                                                   Three Months Ended                                           Nine Months Ended

                                                                                                                           2017                2016 (a)                      2017                2016 (a)
                                                                                                                           ----                 -------                      ----                 -------

    Revenues:

    Sales                                                                                                                          $158,843                                          $228,644                                          $467,914     $747,211

    Franchise royalty revenue and fees                                                                                   98,882                               98,039                               306,120                               275,886

    Franchise rental income                                                                                              50,275                               37,329                               140,127                               102,420
                                                                                                                         ------                               ------                               -------                               -------

                                                                                                                        308,000                              364,012                               914,161                             1,125,517
                                                                                                                        -------                              -------                               -------                             ---------

    Costs and expenses:

    Cost of sales                                                                                                       132,387                              186,546                               385,154                               603,836

    Franchise rental expense                                                                                             24,076                               17,534                                64,841                                49,684

    General and administrative                                                                                           52,960                               58,938                               156,690                               184,708

    Depreciation and amortization                                                                                        31,216                               29,362                                91,690                                92,456

    System optimization losses (gains), net                                                                                 106                             (37,756)                               39,749                              (48,106)

    Reorganization and realignment costs                                                                                  2,888                                2,129                                20,768                                 7,866

    Impairment of long-lived assets                                                                                       1,041                                  361                                 1,804                                12,991

    Other operating expense (income), net                                                                                 1,669                                  810                                 5,294                              (13,483)
                                                                                                                          -----                                  ---                                 -----                               -------

                                                                                                                        246,343                              257,924                               765,990                               889,952
                                                                                                                        -------                              -------                               -------                               -------

    Operating profit                                                                                                     61,657                              106,088                               148,171                               235,565

    Interest expense                                                                                                   (29,977)                            (28,731)                             (87,887)                             (85,483)

    Other (expense) income, net                                                                                           (125)                                 498                                 3,108                                 1,036
                                                                                                                           ----                                  ---                                 -----                                 -----

    Income before income taxes                                                                                           31,555                               77,855                                63,392                               151,118

    Provision for income taxes                                                                                         (17,298)                            (28,965)                             (28,639)                             (50,385)

    Net income                                                                                                                      $14,257                                           $48,890                                           $34,753     $100,733
                                                                                                                                    =======                                           =======                                           =======     ========


    Net income per share:

    Basic                                                                                                                              $.06                                              $.19                                              $.14         $.38

    Diluted                                                                                                                 .06                                  .18                                   .14                                   .37


    Number of shares used to calculate basic income                                                                     243,354                              260,976                               245,073                               265,702
        per share



    Number of shares used to calculate diluted income                                                                   251,737                              264,808                               253,176                               269,941
        per share



    (a) 2016 condensed consolidated statements of operations reflect reclassifications to conform to the current year presentation.



                                                  
    The Wendy's Company and Subsidiaries
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    As of October 1, 2017 and January 1, 2017
    (In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)
    (Unaudited)


                                                                                                                                                                                                  October 1,                January 1,
                                                                                                                                                                                                         2017                 2017 (a)
                                                                                                                                                                                                         ----                  -------

    ASSETS

    Current assets:

    Cash and cash equivalents                                                                                                                                                                                      $186,629                      $198,240

    Restricted cash                                                                                                                                                                                    34,042                           57,612

    Accounts and notes receivable, net                                                                                                                                                                115,390                           98,825

    Inventories                                                                                                                                                                                         2,895                            2,851

    Prepaid expenses and other current assets                                                                                                                                                          23,762                           19,244

    Advertising funds restricted assets                                                                                                                                                                58,163                           75,760

    Total current assets                                                                                                                                                                              420,881                          452,532

    Properties                                                                                                                                                                                      1,252,246                        1,192,339

    Goodwill                                                                                                                                                                                          743,508                          741,410

    Other intangible assets                                                                                                                                                                         1,332,130                        1,322,531

    Investments                                                                                                                                                                                        58,171                           56,981

    Net investment in direct financing leases                                                                                                                                                         213,649                          123,604

    Other assets                                                                                                                                                                                       69,688                           49,917

    Total assets                                                                                                                                                                                                 $4,090,273                    $3,939,314
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ==========                    ==========


    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

    Current liabilities:

    Current portion of long-term debt                                                                                                                                                                               $29,359                       $24,652

    Accounts payable                                                                                                                                                                                   25,776                           27,635

    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities                                                                                                                                                    121,124                          102,034

    Advertising funds restricted liabilities                                                                                                                                                           58,163                           75,760

    Total current liabilities                                                                                                                                                                         234,422                          230,081

    Long-term debt                                                                                                                                                                                  2,696,520                        2,487,630

    Deferred income taxes                                                                                                                                                                             419,293                          446,513

    Other liabilities                                                                                                                                                                                 277,443                          247,354
                                                                                                                                                                                                      -------                          -------

    Total liabilities                                                                                                                                                                               3,627,678                        3,411,578

    Commitments and contingencies

    Stockholders' equity:

    Common stock, $0.10 par value; 1,500,000 shares authorized;                                                                                                                                        47,042                           47,042
         470,424 shares issued; 242,565 and 246,574 shares outstanding, respectively

    Additional paid-in capital                                                                                                                                                                      2,883,504                        2,878,589

    Accumulated deficit                                                                                                                                                                             (305,703)                       (290,857)

    Common stock held in treasury, at cost; 227,859 and 223,850 shares, respectively                                                                                                              (2,117,232)                      (2,043,797)

    Accumulated other comprehensive loss                                                                                                                                                             (45,016)                        (63,241)
                                                                                                                                                                                                      -------                          -------

    Total stockholders' equity                                                                                                                                                                        462,595                          527,736

    Total liabilities and stockholders' equity                                                                                                                                                                   $4,090,273                    $3,939,314
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ==========                    ==========


    (a) January 1, 2017 condensed consolidated balance sheet reflects reclassifications to conform to the current year presentation.



                                       
    The Wendy's Company and Subsidiaries
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    Nine Month Periods Ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016
    (In Thousands)
    (Unaudited


                                                                                                                                                                                                  Nine Months Ended

                                                                                                                                                                                          2017                     2016
                                                                                                                                                                                          ----                     ----

    Cash flows from operating activities:

    Net income                                                                                                                                                                                     $34,753                         $100,733

    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

    Depreciation and amortization                                                                                                                                                       91,690                              94,056

    Share-based compensation                                                                                                                                                            16,356                              14,260

    Impairment of long-lived assets                                                                                                                                                      1,804                              12,991

    Deferred income tax                                                                                                                                                                    945                            (17,024)

    Non-cash rental income, net                                                                                                                                                        (8,348)                            (5,138)

    Net receipt of deferred vendor incentives                                                                                                                                            4,547                               4,110

    System optimization losses (gains), net                                                                                                                                             39,749                            (48,106)

    Gain on sale of investments, net                                                                                                                                                   (1,807)                                  -

    Distributions received from TimWen joint venture                                                                                                                                     5,524                               8,451

    Equity in earnings in joint ventures, net                                                                                                                                          (6,113)                            (6,495)

    Accretion of long-term debt                                                                                                                                                            927                                 914

    Amortization of deferred financing costs                                                                                                                                             5,954                               5,668

    Reclassification of unrealized losses on cash flow hedges                                                                                                                            2,170                               2,170

    Other, net                                                                                                                                                                           2,395                               4,229

    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

    Restricted cash                                                                                                                                                                        233                                 181

    Accounts and notes receivable, net                                                                                                                                                (14,193)                           (29,118)

    Inventories                                                                                                                                                                           (44)                                126

    Prepaid expenses and other current assets                                                                                                                                          (1,281)                            (3,958)

    Accounts payable                                                                                                                                                                   (1,557)                            (6,412)

    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities                                                                                                                                       3,039                               5,677
                                                                                                                                                                                         -----                               -----

    Net cash provided by operating activities                                                                                                                                          176,743                             137,315
                                                                                                                                                                                       -------                             -------

    Cash flows from investing activities:

    Capital expenditures                                                                                                                                                              (53,711)                          (108,744)

    Acquisitions                                                                                                                                                                      (86,788)                            (2,209)

    Dispositions                                                                                                                                                                        80,058                             173,849

    Proceeds from sale of investments                                                                                                                                                    3,282                                   -

    Payments for investments                                                                                                                                                             (375)                              (172)

    Notes receivable, net                                                                                                                                                              (4,174)                            (2,282)

    Changes in restricted cash                                                                                                                                                          23,624                               1,912

    Other, net                                                                                                                                                                               -                                103
                                                                                                                                                                                           ---                                ---

    Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities                                                                                                                               (38,084)                             62,457
                                                                                                                                                                                       -------                              ------

    Cash flows from financing activities:

    Repayments of long-term debt                                                                                                                                                      (20,291)                           (18,678)

    Deferred financing costs                                                                                                                                                           (1,069)                            (1,017)

    Repurchases of common stock                                                                                                                                                       (90,065)                          (161,194)

    Dividends                                                                                                                                                                         (51,464)                           (47,793)

    Proceeds from stock option exercises                                                                                                                                                10,419                              10,623

    Payments related to tax withholding for share-based compensation                                                                                                                   (4,484)                            (4,142)

    Net cash used in financing activities                                                                                                                                            (156,954)                          (222,201)
                                                                                                                                                                                      --------                            --------

    Net cash used in operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash                                                                                                        (18,295)                           (22,429)

    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash                                                                                                                                              6,684                               3,997
                                                                                                                                                                                         -----                               -----

    Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents                                                                                                                                         (11,611)                           (18,432)

    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period                                                                                                                                   198,240                             327,216

    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period                                                                                                                                                    $186,629                         $308,784
                                                                                                                                                                                                  ========                         ========



                                            
    The Wendy's Company and Subsidiaries
    Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA
    (In Thousands)
    (Unaudited


                                                                              Three Months Ended                                Nine Months Ended

                                                                            2017                     2016                      2017                      2016
                                                                            ----                     ----                      ----                      ----


    Net income                                                                      $14,257                                            $48,890                 $34,753  $100,733

    Provision for income taxes                                            17,298                               28,965                                 28,639     50,385
                                                                          ------                               ------                                 ------     ------

    Income before income taxes                                            31,555                               77,855                                 63,392    151,118

    Other expense (income), net                                              125                                (498)                               (3,108)   (1,036)

    Interest expense                                                      29,977                               28,731                                 87,887     85,483
                                                                          ------                               ------                                 ------     ------

    Operating profit                                                      61,657                              106,088                                148,171    235,565

    Plus (less):

    Depreciation and amortization                                         31,216                               29,362                                 91,690     92,456

    System optimization losses (gains), net                                  106                             (37,756)                                39,749   (48,106)

    Reorganization and realignment costs                                   2,888                                2,129                                 20,768      7,866

    Impairment of long-lived assets                                        1,041                                  361                                  1,804     12,991
                                                                           -----                                  ---                                  -----     ------

    Adjusted EBITDA                                                                 $96,908                                           $100,184                $302,182  $300,772
                                                                                    =======                                           ========                ========  ========


    Adjusted EBITDA margin                                                 31.5%                               27.5%                                 33.1%     26.7%



                                                                                                         Reconciliation of Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share to

                                                                                                                Adjusted Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Share

                                                                                                                    (In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)

                                                                                                                                  (Unaudited)


                                                                                                                          Three Months Ended                                    Nine Months Ended

                                                                                                                        2017                    2016                      2017                    2016
                                                                                                                        ----                    ----                      ----                    ----


    Net income                                                                                                                  $14,257                                          $48,890                                          $34,753                                          $100,733
                                                                                                                                -------                                          -------                                          -------                                          --------

    Plus (less):

    Depreciation of assets that will be replaced as                                                                    (261)                              (285)                                 186                                2,930
         part of the Image Activation initiative

    System optimization losses (gains), net                                                                              106                            (37,756)                              39,749                             (48,106)

    Reorganization and realignment costs                                                                               2,888                               2,129                               20,768                                7,866

    Impairment of long-lived assets                                                                                    1,041                                 361                                1,804                               12,991

    Total adjustments                                                                                                  3,774                            (35,551)                              62,507                             (24,319)

    Income tax impact on adjustments (a)                                                                               4,190                              16,083                             (15,846)                               9,243
                                                                                                                       -----                              ------                              -------                                -----

    Total adjustments, net of income taxes                                                                             7,964                            (19,468)                              46,661                             (15,076)
                                                                                                                       -----                             -------                               ------                              -------


    Adjusted income                                                                                                             $22,221                                          $29,422                                          $81,414                                           $85,657
                                                                                                                                =======                                          =======                                          =======                                           =======


    Diluted earnings per share                                                                                                     $.06                                             $.18                                             $.14                                              $.37

    Total adjustments per share, net of income taxes                                                                     .03                               (.07)                                 .18                                (.05)

    Adjusted earnings per share                                                                                                    $.09                                             $.11                                             $.32                                              $.32
                                                                                                                                   ====                                             ====                                             ====                                              ====


    (a) The provision for (benefit from) income taxes on "System optimization losses (gains), net" was $5,626 and $16,935 for the three months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016, respectively, and $(6,980) and $18,425 for the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016,
     respectively.  The provision for (benefit from) income taxes on "System optimization losses (gains), net" includes the impact of non-deductible goodwill disposed of in connection with our system optimization initiative, adjustments related to prior year tax matters, changes to state
     deferred taxes and changes to valuation allowances on state net operating loss carryforwards. The benefit from income taxes on all other adjustments was calculated using an effective tax rate of 39.15% and 38.96% for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017, respectively, and
     38.60% for both the three and nine months ended October 2, 2016.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-wendys-company-reports-third-quarter-2017-results-300551424.html

SOURCE The Wendy's Company