Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Share Price Crosses Above 50 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN)’s share price passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $7.30 and traded as high as $9.45. Wendy’s shares last traded at $8.5890, with a volume of 30,402,588 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $6.00 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Argus raised shares of Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $12.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Wendy’s presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $8.56.

Wendy’s Trading Down 3.9%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a current ratio of 1.83. The business’s 50-day moving average is $7.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $7.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.64 billion, a PE ratio of 11.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 0.36.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $432.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $518.03 million. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 136.46% and a net margin of 6.77%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business 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 anticipate that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PVG Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Wendy’s during the first quarter worth $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 purchasing an additional 14,438 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 5.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,493,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $31,232,000 after buying an additional 236,541 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in Wendy’s by 5.5% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 927,506 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $6,447,000 after buying an additional 48,009 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bull Harbor Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Wendy’s in the 1st quarter worth about $75,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

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.