Stephens Reiterates “Equal Weight” Rating for Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN)

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating reiterated by equities researchers at Stephens in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $8.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 27.69% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Mizuho set a $6.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $6.00 price target (down from $7.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, May 11th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $7.25 to $7.75 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Argus upgraded Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Wendy’s has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.56.

Wendy’s Trading Up 1.5%

WEN stock traded up $0.10 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $6.26. The stock had a trading volume of 3,386,634 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,324,932. The firm has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a PE ratio of 8.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.81. Wendy’s has a 12-month low of $6.07 and a 12-month high of $12.51. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $7.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.57.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WEN. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in Wendy’s by 161.0% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,829 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 2,362 shares during the period. Gen Wealth Partners Inc purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the first quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the first quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other 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.