Profit jumps at Wendy's, but it sees challenges ahead

Wendy's International said Monday that its fourth-quarter earnings more than quadrupled from a year ago, when it took major charges for discontinued operations, and restaurants reported better margins despite high prices for beef and chicken prices.

Wendy's fell just short of Wall Street expectations, however, and warned that it faces economic headwinds as it considers putting itself up for sale.

The nation's No. 3 burger chain, based in Columbus, Ohio, said it made $14.1 million, or 16 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Dec. 30, compared with $3 million, or 3 cents a share, for the year-ago period when it recorded charges from the spinoff of the Tim Hortons chain and the sale of Baja Fresh Mexican Grill.