The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives $8.56 Average PT from Analysts

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has been given a consensus rating of “Reduce” by the twenty-three ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have given a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $8.5568.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WEN shares. Stephens dropped their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $6.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $7.25 to $7.75 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th.

Wendy’s Trading Down 2.2%

NASDAQ:WEN opened at $7.84 on Friday. Wendy’s has a 12 month low of $6.37 and a 12 month high of $12.51. The firm has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.81, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25. The company’s 50 day moving average is $7.09 and its 200-day moving average is $7.81.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 136.46%. The company had revenue of $432.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $518.03 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.20 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Wendy’s will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.1%. Wendy’s’s payout ratio is 71.79%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WEN. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Wendy’s by 19,693.8% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 3,151 shares during the period. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Wendy’s during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Wendy’s during the first quarter worth $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Wendy’s by 161.0% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,829 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 2,362 shares during the period. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new stake in Wendy’s in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

About Wendy’s

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) operates as a global quick-service restaurant chain, best known for its square-shaped beef patties, fresh ingredient sourcing and signature Frosty dessert. The company’s menu features a variety of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, breakfast sandwiches, sides and beverages, designed to appeal to a broad customer base seeking both classic and contemporary fast-food options. Wendy’s has placed particular emphasis on product innovation, introducing limited-time offerings and revamped core menu items to maintain customer interest and respond to evolving dining trends.

Founded in 1969 by entrepreneur Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, Wendy’s expanded rapidly through both company-owned and franchised outlets.