Brokerages Set The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target at $8.56

Shares of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) have earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the twenty-four research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $8.5568.

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WEN. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Wendy’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $6.00 price objective (down from $7.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Wendy’s during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in Wendy’s by 161.0% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,829 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 2,362 shares in the last quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc acquired a new stake in Wendy’s during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Wendy’s during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. acquired a new stake in Wendy’s during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wendy’s Price Performance

Wendy’s stock opened at $6.79 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 8.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.38. Wendy’s has a 52-week low of $6.37 and a 52-week high of $12.51. The company has a quick ratio of 1.81, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25. The company’s 50 day moving average is $7.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $7.64.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 136.46%. The business had revenue of $432.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $518.03 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.20 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Wendy’s will post 0.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.79%.

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.