Noodles & Company (NASDAQ:NDLS) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.23 EPS

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 24th, 2026

Noodles & Company (NASDAQ:NDLS – Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Friday. The restaurant operator reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.05) by $0.23, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $127.04 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $119.40 million.

Here are the key takeaways from Noodles & Company’s conference call:

Noodles reported one of its strongest quarterly performances as a public company, with restaurant-level margin expanding more than 400 basis points year over year to 17.2% and adjusted EBITDA up 79% to $10.8 million.
Comparable sales remained strong, with system-wide comp sales up 10.3% in Q2 and company-owned comps up 11.4%; management also said Q3-to-date company-owned comps are running about 10% higher.
Menu innovation is gaining traction, especially Asian-inspired items like Indonesian Peanut Saute and Chili Garlic Ramen, which drove a 42% increase in Asian category mix and attracted many new guests.
Management said its more disciplined marketing strategy is working, with digital channel comparable sales up 18% and media impressions nearly doubling on only about a 6% increase in spend.
The company raised full-year 2026 guidance for revenue, margin, and adjusted EBITDA, and expects debt to fall to at or below 3x adjusted EBITDA by year-end through free cash flow and continued portfolio optimization.

Noodles & Company Trading Up 28.9%

Shares of NDLS traded up $3.57 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $15.92. 235,556 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 62,978. Noodles & Company has a 52 week low of $3.57 and a 52 week high of $16.41. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.28. The company has a market cap of $93.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.49 and a beta of 1.38.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NDLS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Noodles & Company in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Noodles & Company from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Noodles & Company

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in Noodles & Company by 331.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 110,666 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 84,987 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd increased its stake in Noodles & Company by 228.5% in the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 94,746 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 65,907 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Noodles & Company by 34,246.2% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 49,802 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 49,657 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Noodles & Company by 31.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 181,963 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 43,211 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Noodles & Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors own 65.67% of the company’s stock.

About Noodles & Company

(Get Free Report)

Noodles & Company is an American fast-casual restaurant chain that specializes in a variety of noodle and pasta dishes inspired by global cuisines. Its menu features signature entrees such as the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese and Japanese Pan Noodles, alongside soups, salads, shareable sides and seasonal offerings. The brand emphasizes fresh ingredients, customizable meals and a quick-service format designed to accommodate dine-in, takeout and digital ordering channels.

The company was founded in 1995 by Aaron Kennedy in Boulder, Colorado, with the aim of introducing a diverse noodle-centric menu to the American market.