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

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty-five analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fifteen have issued a hold recommendation, four have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $9.00.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WEN. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective 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. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $8.50 to $7.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Stephens dropped their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WEN. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Wendy’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Investors Research Corp acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 19,693.8% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 3,151 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 2,189 shares during the period. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Wendy’s Stock Down 2.1%

NASDAQ WEN opened at $6.99 on Friday. 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 50-day simple moving average of $7.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $8.36. Wendy’s has a twelve month low of $6.73 and a twelve month high of $15.07. The stock has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a PE ratio of 8.22, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.38.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $439.60 million for 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 company’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.25 earnings per share. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Wendy’s will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. Wendy’s’s payout ratio is 65.88%.

Wendy’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s rolled out a DC Rides Kids’ Meal with 12 collectible DC toys — a national promotion running late March through early June that can boost visits and AUVs from families. Wendy’s Launches DC Rides Kids’ Meal
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets are covering the DC partnership and kids‑meal promotion (QSR, Yahoo Finance, Merca20), amplifying campaign reach and free marketing across earned channels. Wendy’s Teams Up with DC Comics and Warner Bros
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal promos — free Frosty/fries tied to March Madness and a returning “Super” toy collection — drive short‑term traffic and repeat visits, which can help comps during a promotional quarter. Wendy’s celebrating March Madness with free Frosty
• Positive Sentiment: New menu creativity — e.g., Wendy’s Canada’s spring items mixing cereal and chicken and other nostalgic/kid‑focused meals — supports menu differentiation and social buzz. Wendy’s Canada Mixes Cereal and Chicken
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer interest stories (e.g., whether Wendy’s uses fresh or precooked bacon) can affect brand perception but are unlikely to move fundamentals unless a widespread quality issue emerges. Does Wendy’s Use Fresh Or Precooked Bacon?
• Neutral Sentiment: A fact‑check about a purported feud with McDonald’s’ CEO circulated but contains no new operational or financial information — mainly PR noise. Fact check: Did the CEO of McDonald’s just start a viral feud with Wendy’s?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports of unusually high options volume in WEN suggest elevated trading interest and potential volatility; this signals short‑term positioning rather than a change to fundamentals. Wendy’s Sees Unusually High Options Volume

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.