Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target Cut to $9.00 by Analysts at Evercore ISI

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) had its price target dropped by stock analysts at Evercore ISI from $11.00 to $9.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “in-line” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Evercore ISI’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 9.49% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on WEN. Northcoast Research lowered shares of Wendy’s from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $7.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, September 25th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $9.00 price objective (down from $12.00) on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Argus reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Tuesday, September 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $10.43.

Wendy’s Stock Performance

NASDAQ WEN opened at $8.22 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.89, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $8.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.39. Wendy’s has a fifty-two week low of $7.83 and a fifty-two week high of $16.20.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wendy’s

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WEN. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Wendy’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Investors Research Corp purchased a new position in shares of Wendy’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Wendy’s by 19,693.8% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 3,151 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 205.0% in the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,257 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,189 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 1,041 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.96% of the company’s stock.

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.