The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives $9.00 Average Price Target from Brokerages

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-five analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fifteen have given a hold recommendation, four have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $9.00.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WEN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $7.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Evercore set a $8.00 target price on Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th.

Wendy’s Price Performance

Wendy’s stock opened at $6.88 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $7.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.77, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 1.76. The firm has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.40. Wendy’s has a 52 week low of $6.67 and a 52 week high of $14.55.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $439.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $537.11 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 145.93% and a net margin of 7.58%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.25 earnings per share. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Wendy’s will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.88%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Wendy’s during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Investors Research Corp acquired a new position in Wendy’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in Wendy’s by 19,693.8% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 3,151 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in Wendy’s by 205.0% during the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,257 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 2,189 shares during the period. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Wendy’s during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.