Zacks Research Brokers Lower Earnings Estimates for Wendy’s

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Wendy’s in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, April 1st. Zacks Research analyst H. Ray now forecasts that the restaurant operator will earn $0.26 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.28. The consensus estimate for Wendy’s’ current full-year earnings is $0.99 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Wendy’s’ Q1 2027 earnings at $0.28 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $1.19 EPS.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 75.56% and a net margin of 8.65%. The company had revenue of $574.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $564.17 million.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on WEN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $17.00 target price (down previously from $20.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $15.50 to $16.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $14.00 price objective (down previously from $22.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of Wendy’s from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.08.

Wendy’s Price Performance

WEN opened at $14.65 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $14.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.71. The company has a market capitalization of $2.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.48, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.83. Wendy’s has a 1 year low of $13.72 and a 1 year high of $20.65.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.83%. Wendy’s’s payout ratio is 105.26%.

Institutional Trading of Wendy’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Wendy’s by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 92,132 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,614,000 after buying an additional 590 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Wendy’s by 2.8% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 555,980 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $9,741,000 after acquiring an additional 14,889 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in Wendy’s by 42.5% in the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 139,425 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,443,000 after purchasing an additional 41,616 shares in the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. purchased a new stake in Wendy’s in the third quarter worth about $438,000. Finally, Centiva Capital LP bought a new stake in Wendy’s during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $761,000. Institutional investors own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

About Wendy’s

The Wendy’s Co engages in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Wendy’s U.S., Wendy’s International, and Global Real Estate and Development. The Wendy’s U.S. segment includes the operation and franchising of Wendy’s restaurants in the U.S.