Analysts Set The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) Target Price at $10.64

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twenty-seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seventeen have issued a hold recommendation, four have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $10.5682.

WEN has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group reduced their price target on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $9.00 target price on Wendy’s in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $8.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Argus reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, September 23rd.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

Shares of WEN stock opened at $8.22 on Wednesday. Wendy’s has a 52 week low of $7.83 and a 52 week high of $16.66. The company has a market capitalization of $1.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.72, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $8.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.81.

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

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.8%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.57%.

Institutional Trading of Wendy’s

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Wendy’s during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Investors Research Corp bought a new position in Wendy’s in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Wendy’s by 19,693.8% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 3,151 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in shares of Wendy’s by 205.0% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,257 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 2,189 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 35.0% during the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,017 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,041 shares during the period. 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.