Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Stock Price

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) had its price target reduced by stock analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $18.00 to $17.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective would suggest a potential upside of 12.73% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Wendy’s from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Wendy’s from $18.00 to $18.75 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Wendy’s from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Wendy’s from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $20.04.

Wendy’s Price Performance

NASDAQ WEN traded down $0.10 on Friday, reaching $15.08. The company had a trading volume of 1,441,809 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,048,779. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a PE ratio of 15.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.78. Wendy’s has a 12 month low of $15.03 and a 12 month high of $20.65. The company has a quick ratio of 2.08, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.64. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $17.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.50.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.25. The firm had revenue of $566.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $560.50 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 70.02% and a net margin of 8.76%. The business’s revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.27 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Wendy’s will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WEN. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 152,549 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,673,000 after acquiring an additional 2,087 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 168.1% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,233 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Copley Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Wendy’s in the 3rd quarter valued at about $451,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its position in shares of Wendy’s by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 711,267 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $12,461,000 after purchasing an additional 102,769 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the third quarter valued at approximately $763,000. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Wendy’s Company Profile

The Wendy's Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a quick-service restaurant company in the United States and internationally. It operates through Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International, and Global Real Estate & Development segments. The company is involved in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants specializing in hamburger sandwiches.