Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.560-0.600 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.860. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wendy’s Stock Up 4.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:WEN traded up $0.34 during trading on Friday, reaching $7.61. 10,126,954 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,635,559. Wendy’s has a 1-year low of $7.08 and a 1-year high of $16.20. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $8.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.38.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a net margin of 8.43% and a return on equity of 125.74%. The business had revenue of $439.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $537.11 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.25 EPS. Wendy’s’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Wendy’s will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $9.00 target price on Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $10.20.

Trending Headlines about Wendy’s

Here are the key news stories impacting Wendy’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat consensus on the bottom line (reported $0.16 EPS vs. ~$0.14 expected), which shows some near-term profitability resilience despite year-over-year softness. Wendy’s (WEN) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotional activity and new menu items (e.g., $1 promotions, Frosty flavors) may support traffic short-term but are unlikely to offset the broader sales trends by themselves. Wendy’s celebrating ‘singles’ with $1 burgers on Feb. 15. See deal
• Negative Sentiment: Widespread U.S. weakness: Wendy’s said it will close as many as 350 U.S. locations in H1 2026, reflecting ongoing struggles to attract customers and stabilize store-level performance. Wendy’s says as many as 350 US locations will close in the first half of this year
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and sales pain: management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $0.56–$0.60 versus a ~$0.86 consensus, and reported declining global systemwide sales and negative U.S. same-restaurant sales — a clear driver of analyst concern. THE WENDY’S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOK
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares hit a 52-week low and have tumbled over the past year as investors price in slower traffic, margin pressure and execution risk for the company’s turnaround plan. Highly Shorted Stock Wendy’s Hits 52-Week Low On Weak Outlook

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 24.6% during the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 17,651 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $147,000 after buying an additional 3,489 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Wendy’s by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,091,847 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $59,075,000 after acquiring an additional 227,023 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Wendy’s by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,446,335 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $45,368,000 after acquiring an additional 102,084 shares in the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Wendy’s by 25.8% during the fourth quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 470,500 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $3,919,000 after acquiring an additional 96,558 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 258.6% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 4,224,648 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $35,191,000 after acquiring an additional 3,046,517 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Wendy’s Company Profile

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.