Stephens Issues Positive Forecast for Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Stock Price

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) had its target price upped by equities researchers at Stephens from $7.00 to $8.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 0.76% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on WEN. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and set a $6.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $7.48.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

WEN opened at $7.94 on Friday. Wendy’s has a 52-week low of $5.94 and a 52-week high of $10.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.51 billion, a PE ratio of 12.03, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.95, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 1.90. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $6.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.36.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $435.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $531.28 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 115.31% and a net margin of 5.72%. The business’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.24 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Wendy’s will post 0.50 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Wendy’s

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WEN. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 55.1% during the 3rd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 35,159 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 12,494 shares during the period. Pavion Blue Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $64,000. AMG National Trust Bank acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $155,000. Lido Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Wendy’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $94,000. Finally, Fulcrum Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in Wendy’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $283,000. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

More Wendy’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s reported third-quarter EPS of $0.13, above analyst expectations of $0.09. The company also introduced its multi-year “Dave’s Way” plan to attract more customers and improve restaurant profitability. Wendy’s Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management sees breakfast as an opportunity, with location-specific changes that could deliver up to $200 million in restaurant-level EBITDA impact. That upside depends on successful execution. Breakfast and turnaround outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: The board rejected a Trian-led group’s $7.35-per-share offer, saying it undervalued the company, and adopted a limited-duration shareholder rights plan. The rejection keeps Wendy’s standalone turnaround in play but removes a near-term buyout path and may prolong takeover uncertainty. Wendy’s rejects Trian offer
• Neutral Sentiment: Wendy’s signed a letter of intent to acquire up to 163 Meritage Hospitality Group restaurants, subject to a definitive agreement and other approvals. The deal could expand company-operated locations, but its financial impact is not yet clear. Potential Meritage restaurant acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the EPS beat, earnings were below the year-ago level, while coverage described declining sales and traffic. The turnaround must reverse those pressures for the company’s standalone strategy to support its valuation. Q3 sales and earnings pressures

Wendy’s Company Profile

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ: WEN) operates and franchises quick-service restaurants under the Wendy’s brand. Its restaurants are known for hamburgers made with fresh, never-frozen beef, along with chicken sandwiches, salads, fries, breakfast items, desserts, and beverages.

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s has grown into an international restaurant chain with locations primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as select markets in other countries. The company’s restaurant system includes both company-operated and franchised locations.

In addition to its restaurant operations, Wendy’s supports customers through digital ordering, delivery, loyalty programs, and mobile applications.