The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” by Brokerages

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has received an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the twenty-four ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have given a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.5568.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WEN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $8.00 price objective on Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $6.00 target price on Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Wendy’s from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup upped their price target on Wendy’s from $7.25 to $7.75 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Wendy’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th.

Institutional Trading of Wendy’s

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in Wendy’s by 161.0% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Gen Wealth Partners Inc purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WEN opened at $6.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.81. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $7.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $7.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 8.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.38. Wendy’s has a 1 year low of $6.37 and a 1 year high of $12.51.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.02. The firm 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 was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.20 earnings per share. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Wendy’s will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.2%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is 71.79%.

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.