Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target Lowered to $8.00 at Citigroup

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) had its price target reduced by Citigroup from $9.00 to $8.00 in a research note released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on WEN. Argus raised Wendy’s to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Zacks Research raised shares of Wendy’s from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $10.14.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

Shares of Wendy’s stock opened at $7.78 on Tuesday. Wendy’s has a fifty-two week low of $7.60 and a fifty-two week high of $16.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $8.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $9.08.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.04. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 125.74% and a net margin of 8.43%.The business had revenue of $442.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $535.75 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. Wendy’s’s quarterly revenue 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, equities analysts forecast that Wendy’s will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.2%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.57%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy’s

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in shares of Wendy’s during the 1st quarter worth approximately $161,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in shares of Wendy’s by 1.8% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 639,085 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $9,350,000 after acquiring an additional 11,072 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in Wendy’s by 82.3% during the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 72,636 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $830,000 after acquiring an additional 32,792 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp boosted its position in Wendy’s by 54.7% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 57,296 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $654,000 after purchasing an additional 20,249 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Wendy’s by 5.2% in the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 146,775 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,676,000 after purchasing an additional 7,237 shares during the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.