Truist Financial Has Lowered Expectations for Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Stock Price

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) had its price objective reduced by analysts at Truist Financial from $11.00 to $10.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Truist Financial’s target price suggests a potential upside of 22.25% from the stock’s current price.

WEN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Evercore set a $8.00 price target on Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday. Stephens reduced their target price on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $6.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Argus upgraded shares of Wendy’s to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $9.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.39.

Wendy’s Trading Up 16.9%

Shares of NASDAQ WEN opened at $8.18 on Tuesday. 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 52-week low of $6.73 and a 52-week high of $16.20. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $8.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.89. The stock has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.38.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a net margin of 7.58% and a return on equity of 145.93%. The company had revenue of $439.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $537.11 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share. Wendy’s’s revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Wendy’s will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WEN. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,912,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Wendy’s by 38.1% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,705,610 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $97,508,000 after acquiring an additional 3,227,366 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted 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 acquiring an additional 3,046,517 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Wendy’s by 61.3% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,041,012 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $57,568,000 after acquiring an additional 1,915,465 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Wendy’s in the second quarter worth $18,929,000. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wendy’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Trian / Nelson Peltz signaled increased engagement and that it sees Wendy’s as undervalued — a classic activist catalyst that can unlock value via strategic moves or a sale. Wendy’s Shares Heat Up on Trian Disclosure
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media coverage and quotes from Peltz calling WEN “undervalued” have amplified investor attention and optimism about near-term upside or takeover interest. Wendy’s Stock Surges After Billionaire Nelson Peltz Calls It Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Derivative activity skewed bullish today — a surge in call buying and much higher-than-normal volume — which amplifies upward price momentum and signals speculative/trader conviction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wendy’s issued a measured statement that the board regularly reviews strategy to maximize shareholder value; that neither confirms nor rules out specific actions. The Wendy’s Company Comments on Amended 13D Filing from Trian Partners
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports note Trian has talked with financing sources and partners about possible deals; this raises uncertainty — outcomes could range from a board settlement to an outright takeover or stake sale. Wendy’s shares soar 15% after billionaire Nelson Peltz says stock is undervalued
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying fundamentals are weak: recent soft guidance, lower revenues, and plans to close hundreds of U.S. locations have pressured sentiment and led to analyst downgrades/price-target cuts. Wendy’s stock sinks to six-year low after soft outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Earlier unusual put buying and multiple analyst downgrades indicate real downside risk if activist momentum fades or operational trends don’t improve.

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.