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

Shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the twenty-four ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.5568.

A number of research analysts have commented on WEN shares. Argus raised Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $6.00 target price (down from $7.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Monday, May 11th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $6.00 target price on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Mizuho set a $6.00 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Friday, May 1st.

Wendy’s Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:WEN opened at $8.59 on Friday. Wendy’s has a 12-month low of $6.07 and a 12-month high of $12.00. The stock has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a PE ratio of 11.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.36. The business has a 50 day moving average of $7.33 and a 200-day moving average of $7.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.81, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.02. The company 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $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 forecast that Wendy’s will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Wendy’s’s payout ratio is currently 71.79%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. PVG Asset Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the first quarter worth approximately $349,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 23.2% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 76,790 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $534,000 after buying an additional 14,438 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Wendy’s by 5.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,493,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $31,232,000 after buying an additional 236,541 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its position in Wendy’s by 5.5% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 927,506 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $6,447,000 after buying an additional 48,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bull Harbor Capital LLC bought a new position in Wendy’s during the 1st quarter worth $75,000. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.