The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives $10.30 Average Target Price from Brokerages

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-six analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, sixteen have assigned a hold recommendation, four have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $10.2045.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WEN. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $9.00 price target (down previously from $12.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research upgraded Wendy’s from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $8.50 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Monday, December 22nd.

Key Wendy’s News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s is promoting a $1 Dave’s Single in‑app offer for Singles Awareness Day (Feb. 15), a low-price digital promotion designed to drive app downloads, redemptions and store traffic. This can boost short‑term customer frequency and data capture. Single Life Just Got Better
• Positive Sentiment: Menu innovation: Wendy’s is rolling out a new Frosty flavor this month and has launched Baconator Chili in stores — fresh items that can generate incremental visits and social buzz if availability is broad. Monitor reported uptake and any supply constraints. Wendy’s Debuting Frosty Flavor
• Neutral Sentiment: Local operations: Wendy’s “House of Soul” location is operating during North Market’s temporary closure — a minor market‑level continuity story without material companywide impact. House of Soul Open
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer nostalgia/brand interest articles (e.g., about prior sandwich lines) may indicate demand for menu bringbacks but are not company announcements. Useful for marketing ideas, not immediate financial impact. Once-Popular Sandwich Line
• Neutral Sentiment: Legacy store closure: A Florida Wendy’s closed after 52 years — a human‑interest/local story with negligible systemwide implications. Florida Wendy’s Closure
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst outlook: Zacks warns Wendy’s lacks the two key ingredients historically tied to earnings beats and expects a decline in EPS for the upcoming report — a direct near‑term headwind for the stock as investors reprice expectations. Watch the earnings release for same‑store sales, franchise vs. company mix, margin drivers and guidance. Zacks: Analysts Expect Decline

Wendy’s Stock Performance

WEN stock opened at $8.02 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a PE ratio of 8.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $8.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $9.04. Wendy’s has a 1-year low of $7.60 and a 1-year high of $16.20.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last released its earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $535.75 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.25 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Wendy’s will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in Wendy’s in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,912,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 61.3% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,041,012 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $57,568,000 after purchasing an additional 1,915,465 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the second quarter valued at approximately $18,929,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in Wendy’s by 6,474.9% during the second quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,134,230 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $12,953,000 after buying an additional 1,116,979 shares in the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is 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.