The Wendy's Company (WEN)Consumer Cyclical | Restaurants | Dublin, United States | NasdaqGS
7.39 USD
-0.11
(-1.468%) ⇩
(July 14, 2026, 10:36 a.m.
EDT)
|
Hot Take ↕ | July 11, 2026, 5:35 a.m. EDT
The immediate catalyst driving this stock is not organic business growth, but a speculative frenzy reminiscent of meme-stock dynamics. Recent headlines confirm a surge driven by retail traders chasing a short squeeze, pushing the price well above its historical norms. However, the underlying business fundamentals tell a starkly different story: earnings are contracting sharply (-42% quarterly growth), revenue is barely ticking up (+3%), and the company carries a crushing debt load relative to equity (3562% debt-to-equity). While the 7.4% dividend yield looks attractive on paper, it is likely propping up the price in a market that has already priced in severe distress, evidenced by the massive drop in share price over the last few years. The options market confirms this tension, with heavy betting on the stock staying trapped between a panic floor and a speculative ceiling. For investors, this is a high-risk gamble on retail sentiment rather than a value play on a recovering restaurant giant. |
| Model | MAE |
|---|---|
| AutoTheta ✓ | 0.144953 |
| AutoARIMA | 0.151597 |
| MSTL | 0.160740 |
| AutoETS | 0.161884 |
Forecast horizon: 45 days | Selected: AutoTheta
| Forecast Reliability | |
|---|---|
| Score | 46% |
| H-stat | 1.75 |
| Ljung-Box p | 0.000 |
| Jarque-Bera p | 0.550 |
| Excess Kurtosis | -0.69 |
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical |
| Ex Dividend Date | 2026-05-31 |
| Last Dividend Date | 2026-05-31 |
| Debt to Equity Ratio | 3562.577 |
| Revenue per Share | 11.498 |
| Market Cap | 1,407,632,896 |
| Trailing P/E | 9.72 |
| Forward P/E | 11.55 |
| Beta | 0.37 |
| Profit Margins | 6.77% |
| Website | https://www.wendys.com |
As of July 11, 2026, 5:35 a.m. EDT: Speculators are positioning for a volatile range-bound outcome rather than a directional breakout. Call Open Interest builds significantly at strikes above the current price (9.0, 10.0, 11.0), creating a ceiling, while Put Open Interest concentrates heavily at lower strikes (6.0, 7.0), establishing a floor. This heavy concentration of OI at both extremes suggests traders expect the stock to oscillate within a tight band rather than trend decisively up or down. The massive volume spike at the 8.5 strike for the nearest expiration indicates active speculation on a move away from current levels, but the overall structure favors mean reversion.
| Last Yield | 1yr Yield | 3yr Avg | 5yr Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.78% | 6.73% | 5.98% | 4.75% |
| Date | Dividend | Yield % |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | 0.140000 | 1.783440 |
| 2026-03-02 | 0.140000 | 1.881720 |
| 2025-12-01 | 0.140000 | 1.701094 |
| 2025-09-02 | 0.140000 | 1.363194 |
| 2025-06-02 | 0.140000 | 1.208981 |
| 2025-03-03 | 0.250000 | 1.674481 |
| 2024-12-02 | 0.250000 | 1.384275 |
| 2024-09-03 | 0.250000 | 1.516990 |
| 2024-06-03 | 0.250000 | 1.442585 |
| 2024-02-29 | 0.250000 | 1.380453 |
| 2023-11-30 | 0.250000 | 1.333333 |
| 2023-08-31 | 0.250000 | 1.263264 |
| 2023-05-31 | 0.250000 | 1.135847 |
| 2023-02-28 | 0.250000 | 1.138434 |
| 2022-11-30 | 0.125000 | 0.554078 |
| 2022-08-31 | 0.125000 | 0.651721 |
| 2022-05-31 | 0.125000 | 0.670601 |
| 2022-03-04 | 0.125000 | 0.580585 |
| 2021-11-30 | 0.120000 | 0.583090 |
| 2021-08-31 | 0.120000 | 0.521286 |
| 2021-05-28 | 0.100000 | 0.430663 |
| 2021-03-04 | 0.090000 | 0.464396 |
| 2020-11-30 | 0.070000 | 0.318327 |
| 2020-08-31 | 0.050000 | 0.238777 |
| 2020-05-29 | 0.050000 | 0.235183 |
| 2020-02-28 | 0.120000 | 0.635593 |
| 2019-11-29 | 0.120000 | 0.559701 |
| 2019-08-30 | 0.100000 | 0.454545 |
| 2019-05-31 | 0.100000 | 0.543774 |
| 2019-02-28 | 0.100000 | 0.577034 |
| 2018-11-30 | 0.085000 | 0.474066 |
| 2018-08-31 | 0.085000 | 0.481586 |
| 2018-05-31 | 0.085000 | 0.527623 |
| 2018-02-28 | 0.085000 | 0.532915 |
| 2017-11-30 | 0.070000 | 0.470114 |
| 2017-08-30 | 0.070000 | 0.472335 |
| 2017-05-30 | 0.070000 | 0.433437 |
| 2017-02-27 | 0.070000 | 0.505415 |
| 2016-11-29 | 0.065000 | 0.504658 |
| 2016-08-30 | 0.060000 | 0.597610 |
| 2016-05-27 | 0.060000 | 0.583090 |
| 2016-02-26 | 0.060000 | 0.639659 |
| 2015-11-27 | 0.060000 | 0.572519 |
| 2015-08-28 | 0.055000 | 0.596529 |
| 2015-05-28 | 0.055000 | 0.484581 |
| 2015-02-26 | 0.055000 | 0.486295 |
| 2014-11-26 | 0.055000 | 0.639535 |
| 2014-08-28 | 0.050000 | 0.614251 |
| 2014-05-29 | 0.050000 | 0.607533 |
| 2014-02-27 | 0.050000 | 0.503018 |
| 2013-11-27 | 0.050000 | 0.577367 |
| 2013-08-29 | 0.050000 | 0.655308 |
| 2013-05-30 | 0.040000 | 0.662252 |
| 2013-02-27 | 0.040000 | 0.727273 |
| 2012-11-29 | 0.040000 | 0.854701 |
| 2012-08-30 | 0.020000 | 0.464037 |
| 2012-05-30 | 0.020000 | 0.442478 |
| 2012-02-28 | 0.020000 | 0.386100 |
| 2011-11-29 | 0.020000 | 0.416667 |
| 2011-08-30 | 0.020000 | 0.404858 |
| 2011-05-27 | 0.020000 | 0.404040 |
| 2011-02-25 | 0.020000 | 0.411523 |
| 2010-11-29 | 0.020000 | 0.414938 |
| 2010-08-30 | 0.015000 | 0.375940 |
| 2010-05-27 | 0.015000 | 0.331858 |
| 2010-02-25 | 0.015000 | 0.313808 |
| 2009-11-27 | 0.015000 | 0.368550 |
| 2009-08-28 | 0.015000 | 0.288462 |
| 2009-05-28 | 0.015000 | 0.350467 |
| 2009-03-18 | 0.015000 | 0.279851 |
| 2008-11-26 | 0.015000 | 0.371287 |
| 2008-09-17 | 0.080000 | 1.616162 |
| 2008-05-29 | 0.080000 | 1.137980 |
| 2008-02-27 | 0.078431 | 0.863927 |
| 2007-11-29 | 0.078431 | 0.941172 |
| 2007-08-29 | 0.078431 | 0.550962 |
| 2007-05-30 | 0.078431 | 0.483381 |
| 2007-02-27 | 0.078431 | 0.408161 |
| 2006-11-29 | 0.078431 | 0.389862 |
| 2006-08-30 | 0.078431 | 0.504093 |
| 2006-05-30 | 0.078431 | 0.481925 |
| 2006-02-28 | 0.078431 | 0.471140 |
| 2005-11-30 | 0.078431 | 0.489294 |
| 2005-08-30 | 0.078431 | 0.489894 |
| 2005-06-01 | 0.063725 | 0.420437 |
| 2005-03-01 | 0.063725 | 0.414273 |
| 2004-12-01 | 0.063725 | 0.501927 |
| 2004-09-01 | 0.063725 | 0.597422 |
| 2004-06-01 | 0.063725 | 0.614943 |
| 2004-03-02 | 0.063725 | 0.584528 |
| 2003-11-28 | 0.063725 | 0.580871 |
| 2003-09-11 | 0.063725 | 0.649346 |
| 2003-09-05 | 21.078430 | 217.831796 |
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| 52 Week Change | -0.28639388 |
| Address1 | One Dave Thomas Boulevard |
| All Time High | 32.35294 |
| All Time Low | 1.470588 |
| Ask | 8.57 |
| Ask Size | 1 |
| Audit Risk | 3 |
| Average Analyst Rating | 3.0 - Hold |
| Average Daily Volume10 Day | 20,511,390 |
| Average Daily Volume3 Month | 18,142,519 |
| Average Volume | 18,142,519 |
| Average Volume10Days | 20,511,390 |
| Beta | 0.371 |
| Bid | 6.35 |
| Bid Size | 1 |
| Board Risk | 3 |
| Book Value | 0.607 |
| City | Dublin |
| Compensation As Of Epoch Date | 1,767,139,200 |
| Compensation Risk | 6 |
| Country | United States |
| Crypto Tradeable | 0 |
| Currency | USD |
| Current Price | 7.3899 |
| Current Ratio | 1.831 |
| Custom Price Alert Confidence | HIGH |
| Date Short Interest | 1,782,777,600 |
| Day High | 7.505 |
| Day Low | 7.38 |
| Debt To Equity | 3,562.577 |
| Dividend Date | 1,781,481,600 |
| Dividend Rate | 0.56 |
| Dividend Yield | 7.41 |
| Earnings Call Timestamp End | 1,786,132,800 |
| Earnings Call Timestamp Start | 1,786,132,800 |
| Earnings Growth | -0.372 |
| Earnings Quarterly Growth | -0.421 |
| Earnings Timestamp | 1,786,105,800 |
| Earnings Timestamp End | 1,786,105,800 |
| Earnings Timestamp Start | 1,786,105,800 |
| Ebitda | 479,175,008 |
| Ebitda Margins | 0.2184 |
| Enterprise To Ebitda | 10.949 |
| Enterprise To Revenue | 2.391 |
| Enterprise Value | 5,246,457,856 |
| Eps Current Year | 0.57175 |
| Eps Forward | 0.63988 |
| Eps Trailing Twelve Months | 0.76 |
| Esg Populated | 0 |
| Ex Dividend Date | 1,780,272,000 |
| Exchange | NMS |
| Exchange Data Delayed By | 0 |
| Exchange Timezone Name | America/New_York |
| Exchange Timezone Short Name | EDT |
| Fifty Day Average | 7.3524 |
| Fifty Day Average Change | 0.03750038 |
| Fifty Day Average Change Percent | 0.005100427 |
| Fifty Two Week Change Percent | -28.639389 |
| Fifty Two Week High | 12.0 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change | -4.6101 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change Percent | -0.38417497 |
| Fifty Two Week Low | 6.07 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change | 1.3199 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change Percent | 0.21744646 |
| Fifty Two Week Range | 6.07 - 12.0 |
| Financial Currency | USD |
| First Trade Date Milliseconds | 326,467,800,000 |
| Five Year Avg Dividend Yield | 4.82 |
| Float Shares | 156,881,760 |
| Forward Eps | 0.63988 |
| Forward P E | 11.548884 |
| Free Cashflow | 131,266,376 |
| Full Exchange Name | NasdaqGS |
| Full Time Employees | 4,967 |
| Gmt Off Set Milliseconds | -14,400,000 |
| Governance Epoch Date | 1,782,864,000 |
| Gross Margins | 0.34101 |
| Gross Profits | 748,195,008 |
| Has Pre Post Market Data | 1 |
| Held Percent Insiders | 0.09097 |
| Held Percent Institutions | 0.93665004 |
| Implied Shares Outstanding | 190,480,640 |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Industry Disp | Restaurants |
| Industry Key | restaurants |
| Ir Website | http://www.aboutwendys.com/Investors/ |
| Is Earnings Date Estimate | 0 |
| Language | en-US |
| Last Dividend Date | 1,780,272,000 |
| Last Dividend Value | 0.14 |
| Last Fiscal Year End | 1,766,880,000 |
| Long Business Summary | The Wendy's Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation, development, and franchising of a system of quick-service restaurants in the United States and internationally. The company operates through the Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International, and Global Real Estate & Development segments. Its restaurants offer a menu that includes hamburger sandwiches and chicken sandwiches; chicken tenders and nuggets, chili, french fries, baked potatoes, salads, soft drinks, Frosty desserts, and kids' meals; breakfast menu, including the Breakfast Baconator sandwich and seasoned products; and a variety of promotional products on a limited time basis. The company also owns and leases real estate properties. As of December 28, 2025, there were 5,969 Wendy's restaurants in operation in the United States and 1,428 Wendy's restaurants in operation in 38 foreign countries and U.S. territories. The company was formerly known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. and changed its name to The Wendy's Company in July 2011. The Wendy's Company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. |
| Long Name | The Wendy's Company |
| Market | us_market |
| Market Cap | 1,407,632,896 |
| Market State | REGULAR |
| Max Age | 86,400 |
| Message Board Id | finmb_23557 |
| Most Recent Quarter | 1,774,742,400 |
| Net Income To Common | 148,555,008 |
| Next Fiscal Year End | 1,798,416,000 |
| Non Diluted Market Cap | 1,428,604,800 |
| Number Of Analyst Opinions | 19 |
| Open | 7.3901 |
| Operating Cashflow | 318,516,992 |
| Operating Margins | 0.113649994 |
| Overall Risk | 1 |
| Payout Ratio | 0.72730005 |
| Peg Ratio | 1.29 |
| Phone | 614 764 3100 |
| Previous Close | 7.5 |
| Price Eps Current Year | 12.9250555 |
| Price Hint | 2 |
| Price To Book | 12.174465 |
| Price To Sales Trailing12 Months | 0.6415666 |
| Profit Margins | 0.06771 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.397 |
| Quote Source Name | Nasdaq Real Time Price |
| Quote Type | EQUITY |
| Recommendation Key | hold |
| Recommendation Mean | 3.04167 |
| Region | US |
| Regular Market Change | -0.11009979 |
| Regular Market Change Percent | -1.4679972 |
| Regular Market Day High | 7.505 |
| Regular Market Day Low | 7.38 |
| Regular Market Day Range | 7.38 - 7.505 |
| Regular Market Open | 7.3901 |
| Regular Market Previous Close | 7.5 |
| Regular Market Price | 7.3899 |
| Regular Market Time | 1,784,039,778 |
| Regular Market Volume | 1,612,993 |
| Return On Assets | 0.04101 |
| Return On Equity | 1.2088 |
| Revenue Growth | 0.033 |
| Revenue Per Share | 11.498 |
| Sand P52 Week Change | 0.20365608 |
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical |
| Sector Disp | Consumer Cyclical |
| Sector Key | consumer-cyclical |
| Share Holder Rights Risk | 1 |
| Shares Outstanding | 190,480,640 |
| Shares Percent Shares Out | 0.315 |
| Shares Short | 59,995,573 |
| Shares Short Previous Month Date | 1,780,012,800 |
| Shares Short Prior Month | 50,266,151 |
| Short Name | Wendy's Company (The) |
| Short Percent Of Float | 0.4416 |
| Short Ratio | 2.11 |
| Source Interval | 15 |
| State | OH |
| Symbol | WEN |
| Target High Price | 13.0 |
| Target Low Price | 5.0 |
| Target Mean Price | 7.77632 |
| Target Median Price | 8.0 |
| Total Cash | 298,740,000 |
| Total Cash Per Share | 1.568 |
| Total Debt | 4,116,592,896 |
| Total Revenue | 2,194,055,936 |
| Tradeable | 0 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Rate | 0.56 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Yield | 0.074666664 |
| Trailing Eps | 0.76 |
| Trailing P E | 9.723553 |
| Trailing Peg Ratio | 1.2931 |
| Triggerable | 1 |
| Two Hundred Day Average | 7.87065 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change | -0.4807496 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change Percent | -0.061081313 |
| Type Disp | Equity |
| Volume | 1,612,993 |
| Website | https://www.wendys.com |
| Zip | 43,017 |