The Wendy's Company (WEN) will raise its quarterly dividend by 17.6 percent to $0.10 per share in the first quarter of 2019. This marks the 10th consecutive calendar year of annual dividend increases by the hamburger company.

The increase will be effective with the next quarterly dividend payment, which is payable on March 15, 2019, to shareholders of record as of March 1, 2019.

"We are pleased to announce an 18 percent increase in our quarterly dividend," said President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Penegor. "Returning cash to shareholders remains a key priority for us. This is the seventh consecutive year that we have increased our dividend, which is a testament to the strong cash flow generation from our resilient and predictable business model."

The Wendy's Company is quick-service hamburger company. Wendy's is best known for its made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef, freshly-prepared salads with hand-chopped lettuce, and other signature items like chili, baked potatoes and the Frosty dessert. The Wendy's system includes franchise and company-operated restaurants in the United States and worldwide. Wendy's is also a partner in a Canadian restaurant real estate joint venture with a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (Tim Hortons and Burger King). Wendy's was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio.