Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN) Price Target Cut to $14.00 by Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus

Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $16.00 to $14.00 in a report released on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a "hold" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' target price indicates a potential upside of 10.41% from the company's current price.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on WEN. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $17.00 price objective on shares of Wendy's in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $17.00 price objective (down previously from $20.00) on shares of Wendy's in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Wendy's from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Wendy's from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Argus raised Wendy's to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $17.97.

Wendy's Stock Performance

Wendy's stock traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $12.68. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,622,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,239,214. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $14.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.27. Wendy's has a 1-year low of $12.05 and a 1-year high of $20.65. The company has a market cap of $2.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.35, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.48, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.83.

Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $574.27 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $564.17 million. Wendy's had a return on equity of 75.56% and a net margin of 8.65%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Wendy's will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Wendy's

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Wendy's by 670.3% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,402 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,220 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Wendy's during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new stake in Wendy's during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Wendy's by 1,111.9% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,133 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,957 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Wendy's by 168.1% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,233 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares during the period. 85.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wendy's Company Profile

The Wendy's Co engages in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International, and Global Real Estate and Development. The Wendy's U.S. segment includes the operation and franchising of Wendy's restaurants in the U.S.