The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives $10.34 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-seven research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $10.3409.

WEN has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price target on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $8.50 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Wendy’s from $9.50 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Wendy’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s launched “Biggie Deals,” a revamped value menu offering combos (nuggets, burgers, fries, drink) priced as low as $4 — a move that could boost traffic and frequency among value-conscious customers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple consumer-facing articles highlight cheaper meal deals and a broader $4–$8 value tier, which may help Wendy’s compete for price-sensitive consumers vs. rivals like Taco Bell. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The company set a near-term calendar catalyst — Wendy’s will report Q4 and full-year 2025 results and provide 2026 outlook before the market opens on Feb. 13, which should clarify whether the value push is already affecting sales and margins. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage criticizes the menu revamp (reports that Biggie Bags were shrunk and the prior 4 for $4 deal was eliminated), flagging potential franchisee/customer backlash and execution risk that could blunt upside. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investors worry the lower-priced offers could compress average checks and margins; the company’s most recent quarter showed revenue weakness vs. expectations, so any margin pressure or weaker AUV (average unit volumes) would be a negative signal. Article Title

Wendy’s Trading Down 2.6%

Shares of WEN traded down $0.22 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $8.32. The company had a trading volume of 5,831,910 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,999,114. The firm has a market cap of $1.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.39. Wendy’s has a 52-week low of $7.83 and a 52-week high of $16.20. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $8.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $9.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.04. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 125.74% and a net margin of 8.43%.The business had revenue of $442.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $535.75 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.25 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Wendy’s has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.820-0.890 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Wendy’s will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.7%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.57%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew 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 during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in Wendy’s by 61.3% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,041,012 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $57,568,000 after buying an additional 1,915,465 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in Wendy’s during the third quarter valued at $36,912,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Wendy’s during the second quarter valued at $18,929,000. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Wendy’s by 65.7% in the third quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 1,479,870 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $13,556,000 after acquiring an additional 586,940 shares in the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.