Wendy's forecasts 2026 global systemwide sales growth to be approximately flat

Wendy's

13/02/2026 12:08

Overview

Fast-food chain's Q4 adjusted revenue missed analyst expectations

Adjusted EPS for Q4 beat analyst expectations

Q4 adjusted EBITDA slightly beat estimates

Outlook

Company expects 2026 global systemwide sales growth to be approximately flat

Wendys projects 2026 adjusted EBITDA between $460 mln and $480 mln

Company forecasts 2026 adjusted EPS of $0.56 to $0.60

Result Drivers

INTERNATIONAL SALES GROWTH - Wendy's reported international systemwide sales growth of 6.2% in Q4, driven by 121 net new restaurants in 2025

PROJECT FRESH - Wendy's is executing its Project Fresh turnaround plan in the U.S. to improve operations and strengthen its foundation, per Interim CEO Ken Cook

OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS - Wendy's noted operational improvements at U.S. Company-operated restaurants and plans for new value offerings in 2026, according to Interim CEO Ken Cook

Key Details

Metric
Beat/Miss
Actual
Consensus Estimate
Q4 Revenue
$543 mln
Q4 Adjusted Revenue
Miss
$439.60 mln
$535.99 mln (20 Analysts)
Q4 Adjusted EPS
Beat
$0.16
$0.14 (27 Analysts)
Q4 EPS
$0.14
Q4 Adjusted EBITDA
Slight Beat*
$113.30 mln
$112.65 mln (23 Analysts)
Q4 Global Systemwide Sales Growth
-8.30%


*Applies to a deviation of less than 1%; not applicable for per-share numbers.

Analyst Coverage

The current average analyst rating on the shares is "hold" and the breakdown of recommendations is 4 "strong buy" or "buy", 20 "hold" and 5 "sell" or "strong sell"

The average consensus recommendation for the restaurants & bars peer group is "buy."

Wall Street's median 12-month price target for Wendy's Co is $9.00, about 23.8% above its February 12 closing price of $7.27

The stock recently traded at 8 times the next 12-month earnings vs. a P/E of 9 three months ago

Press Release: ID:nPn4pQ3K6a

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(This story was created using Reuters automation and AI based on LSEG and company data. It was checked and edited by a Reuters journalist prior to publication.)