Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Shares Pass Above 50 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN)’s stock price passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WEN has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Wendy’s from $7.25 to $7.75 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, April 20th. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Mizuho set a $6.00 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and issued a $6.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.56.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $7.33 and a 200 day moving average of $7.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.36.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $432.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $518.03 million. Wendy’s had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 136.46%. The company’s revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.20 EPS. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS. On average, analysts expect that The Wendy’s Company will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Wendy’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $0.14 dividend. 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 is currently 71.79%.

Institutional Trading of Wendy’s

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WEN. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wendy’s in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Wendy’s by 161.0% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,829 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 2,362 shares during the last quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc bought a new stake in Wendy’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Wendy’s in the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. acquired a new position in Wendy’s in the first quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

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.