Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives “Hold” Rating from TD Cowen

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reissued by analysts at TD Cowen in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $6.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. TD Cowen’s price target would indicate a potential downside of 23.03% from the company’s current price.

WEN has been the subject of several other reports. Wall Street Zen cut Wendy’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Stephens reduced their price target on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Wendy’s from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on Wendy’s from $8.50 to $7.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $8.39.

Wendy’s Stock Up 15.3%

WEN stock traded up $1.04 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $7.80. 30,303,305 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,844,072. Wendy’s has a 12 month low of $6.37 and a 12 month high of $12.51. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $7.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $7.84. The company has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.25, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a current ratio of 1.83.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Wendy’s during the first quarter worth $30,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 766,351 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,326,000 after purchasing an additional 15,919 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 18.0% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 61,425 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $424,000 after purchasing an additional 9,365 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 702.8% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 30,741 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $214,000 after purchasing an additional 26,912 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barnett & Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 10.7% in the 1st quarter. Barnett & Company Inc. now owns 16,600 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $115,000 after buying an additional 1,600 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Wendy’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s jumped after reports said Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management is seeking backing for a potential take-private transaction, fueling buyout speculation and a possible valuation premium. Wendy’s stock jumps 13% as Nelson Peltz eyes potential take-private bid
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option buying suggests traders are positioning for more upside on takeover hopes.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wendy’s also unveiled a new blue restaurant design as part of its broader brand refresh, which may help long-term turnaround efforts but is not an immediate earnings driver. Wendy’s unveils new blue restaurant design amid sales slump
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlighted Q1 results and ongoing store closures, reinforcing that the company is still working through a weak operating backdrop even as buyout speculation dominates trading. Wendy’s Q1 sales decline 7.8% as Project Fresh turnaround gains momentum
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan reiterated an underweight rating and cut its price target to $6, reflecting concern that Wendy’s fundamentals and competitive position remain pressured. Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Receives Underweight Rating from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

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.