Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says

Posted by Geri Gentry on Nov 6th, 2026

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN – Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $6.75 to $8.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Citigroup‘s price target would indicate a potential downside of 1.84% from the company’s current price.

WEN has been the topic of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley set a $5.50 price target on shares of Wendy’s in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Argus downgraded shares of Wendy’s from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Wendy’s has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $7.56.

Read Our Latest Report on Wendy’s

Wendy’s Trading Up 2.6%

NASDAQ WEN traded up $0.21 on Friday, reaching $8.15. 10,021,646 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,942,752. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $6.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.95. Wendy’s has a fifty-two week low of $5.94 and a fifty-two week high of $10.12.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.04. Wendy’s had a return on equity of 115.31% and a net margin of 5.72%. The company had revenue of $435.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $531.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.24 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Wendy’s will post 0.50 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wendy’s

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in Wendy’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Wendy’s during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in Wendy’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $37,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its position in Wendy’s by 630.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 5,245 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 4,527 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its stake in Wendy’s by 21.7% during the second quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 9,643 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 1,720 shares during the period. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wendy’s News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Wendy’s reported Q3 adjusted earnings of $0.13 per share, above the $0.09 analyst consensus. The company also introduced Dave’s Way, a multi-year plan focused on improving traffic, market share and restaurant profitability. Wendy’s Q3 results
Positive Sentiment: The strategy includes making breakfast optional by location based on profitability tests, and Wendy’s says breakfast initiatives could provide up to $200 million in restaurant-level EBITDA impact. It also signed a letter of intent to acquire up to 163 restaurants, subject to approvals and a definitive agreement. Breakfast and turnaround plans
Neutral Sentiment: Stephens raised its price target from $7 to $8 but kept an “equal weight” rating, signaling limited conviction in near-term upside at the cited share price. Stephens analyst action
Negative Sentiment: The board rejected a $7.35-per-share cash offer from a Trian-led investor group, saying it undervalued Wendy’s, and adopted a limited-duration shareholder rights plan. The offer was below the stock’s recently cited market price, so rejection removes an immediate cash-out proposal while raising the prospect of an activist or takeover dispute. Wendy’s rejects Trian offer
Negative Sentiment: Despite the EPS beat, coverage highlights declines in sales and earnings versus the prior year. That weakness makes the success of the new turnaround plan important to justify the board’s decision to remain independent. Q3 sales and turnaround coverage

Wendy’s Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ: WEN) operates and franchises quick-service restaurants under the Wendy’s brand. Its restaurants are known for hamburgers made with fresh, never-frozen beef, along with chicken sandwiches, salads, fries, breakfast items, desserts, and beverages.

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s has grown into an international restaurant chain with locations primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as select markets in other countries. The company’s restaurant system includes both company-operated and franchised locations.

In addition to its restaurant operations, Wendy’s supports customers through digital ordering, delivery, loyalty programs, and mobile applications.