Analysts Set The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Target Price at $8.04

Shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) have received a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the twenty-two research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have assigned a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $8.0375.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and set a $6.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Wendy’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $6.00 price objective (down from $7.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th.

Wendy’s Price Performance

WEN opened at $7.53 on Thursday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.37. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $7.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.42. Wendy’s has a one year low of $6.07 and a one year high of $10.84.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $432.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $518.03 million. Wendy’s had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 136.46%. Wendy’s’s revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.20 EPS. 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 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.4%. Wendy’s’s payout ratio is currently 71.79%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in Wendy’s in the third quarter valued at about $36,912,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new position in Wendy’s during the first quarter worth about $26,062,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Wendy’s by 38.1% during the 4th 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 position in shares of Wendy’s by 258.6% during the 4th 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 increased its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 2,612.4% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,340,282 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $16,265,000 after acquiring an additional 2,254,000 shares during the last quarter. 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.