Brokerages Set The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Target Price at $8.56

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the twenty-three brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.5568.

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Evercore set a $8.00 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $7.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy’s

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WEN. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in Wendy’s during the third quarter worth approximately $36,912,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in Wendy’s during the first quarter worth approximately $26,062,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Wendy’s by 38.1% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,705,610 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $97,508,000 after buying an additional 3,227,366 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its stake in Wendy’s by 258.6% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 4,224,648 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $35,191,000 after buying an additional 3,046,517 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in Wendy’s by 2,612.4% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,340,282 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $16,265,000 after buying an additional 2,254,000 shares during the period. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wendy’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s named Bob Wright as its new CEO after the interim period, giving investors clearer leadership direction. Wendy’s names Bob Wright CEO following interim period
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage highlighted Wendy’s restaurant closures across the U.S. in 2026, which may reflect a restructuring effort but also underscores pressure on the footprint. Why Is Wendys Closing Hundreds of Restaurants Across the U.S. in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: A new Wendy’s-like product at Walmart could increase brand visibility, but the impact on near-term sales is unclear. A New Wendy’s Copycat Has Arrived at Walmart That Has Fans Skipping the Drive-Thru
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut Q2 2026 EPS to $0.17 from $0.18, signaling slightly weaker near-term profitability for Wendy’s.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered FY2026 EPS to $0.57 from $0.59, which is also below the current consensus estimate of $0.58.
• Negative Sentiment: The firm also reduced forecasts for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, and Q1 2028, reinforcing concerns that earnings momentum may remain under pressure.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

Shares of WEN stock opened at $7.81 on Friday. Wendy’s has a one year low of $6.37 and a one year high of $12.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $7.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.35.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 136.46%. The firm had revenue of $432.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $518.03 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.20 earnings per share. Wendy’s’s revenue for the quarter 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Wendy’s will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. Wendy’s’s payout ratio is currently 71.79%.

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.