Citigroup Cuts Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target to $7.25

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) had its price objective reduced by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $8.00 to $7.25 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Citigroup’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 2.17% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Wendy’s from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group cut their price target on Wendy’s from $8.50 to $7.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $8.00 price objective on Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Wendy’s from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $6.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Wendy’s currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $8.81.

Wendy’s Price Performance

NASDAQ WEN traded up $0.17 on Friday, reaching $7.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,401,625 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,349,825. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.77, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 1.76. Wendy’s has a twelve month low of $6.63 and a twelve month high of $13.06. The stock has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a PE ratio of 8.35, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.40. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $7.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.00.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $439.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $537.11 million. Wendy’s had a net margin of 7.58% and a return on equity of 145.93%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Wendy’s will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WEN. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Wendy’s by 30.1% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 13,843,438 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $158,092,000 after purchasing an additional 3,205,269 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Wendy’s by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,091,847 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $59,075,000 after buying an additional 227,023 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Wendy’s by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 6,549,066 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $54,554,000 after buying an additional 357,814 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Wendy’s by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,446,335 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $45,368,000 after buying an additional 102,084 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Wendy’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s officially announced a Spring menu with seven new items — including the Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion as a new core offering and several spicy/sweet items — hitting U.S. restaurants starting April 27; the company gave app users early access beginning April 23, which could boost digital sales and traffic. Wendy’s Delivers on Fan Cravings with a Lineup of Innovative Spring Menu Items
• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s reached 100 stores in the Philippines — a sign of international franchise momentum that supports long‑term growth and franchise revenue diversification outside the U.S. Wendy’s Hits 100 Philippine Stores As Shares Trade Below Fair Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage and reviews of the new Frosty flavor are mixed-to-positive: reviewers call the Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion a tasty addition but not a must‑have FOMO item, which may drive incremental but not breakout traffic. Wendy’s New Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion Is Good, But Not FOMO
• Neutral Sentiment: Wide pickup by consumer and trade outlets (QSR, MSN, AOL, Primetimer, etc.) is amplifying awareness of the eight/seven‑item menu refresh — helpful for marketing and same‑store sales tracking but unclear how durable the sales lift will be. Wendy’s Announces New Spring Menu Lineup
• Negative Sentiment: Data shows high volume in WEN put options recently, indicating traders are taking bearish positions or hedging — a short‑term risk to the share price if sentiment or volatility increases. Investors should monitor options flow and open interest for signs of sustained downside pressure. Traders Purchase High Volume of Wendy’s Put Options (NASDAQ:WEN)

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.