Wendy's

WEN · Nasdaq · Consumer Discretionary · Financials, fiscal 2016 to 2025

WEN · Last close · October 26, 2026

$6.19

Wendy's revenue fell 3.1% to $2.2 billion in fiscal 2025. Its operating margin was 15.8%, down from 16.5% a year earlier. Free cash flow was $243 million, down 7.0%. It paid out $330 million in dividends and buybacks, 136% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 5.6%.

Wendy's Co Latest fiscal year ended December 28, 2025 10-K filed February 23, 2026 · 0000030697-26-000009 Updated October 20, 2026

Revenue

$2.2B

3.1%

Operating margin

15.8%

0.8 pts

Net income

$165M

15.1%

Free cash flow

$243M

7.0%

Return on capital

7.8%

0.6 pts

Market cap

$1.2B

Oct 26 close

P/E

9.4x

On $0.66 EPS, 4 qtrs

Operating margin is operating income as a share of revenue. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Return on capital is after-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash. Market cap is the last closing share price times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate. P/E is the last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters, or the latest fiscal year where the quarters aren't available; there is none when the company made a loss.

About these figures. Return on equity for fiscal 2025 is blank: the 10-K's structured data doesn't include every figure it needs.

What Wendy's does

Wendy's operates and franchises quick-service restaurants that sell hamburgers and other fast food. It says it is the second largest company in the U.S. hamburger sandwich segment by traffic and dollar share, with 7,397 restaurants in the U.S. and 38 other countries and U.S. territories at the end of 2025.

Nearly all restaurants are run by franchisees, who are independent owners. Of the 5,969 U.S. restaurants, 5,546 were run by franchisees and 423 by Wendy's itself. Franchisees pay a monthly royalty of 4.0% of sales, plus a fee for each new restaurant. The company reports three segments: Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International and Global Real Estate & Development.

Wendy's competes with other restaurant chains, grocery stores, food delivery services and other places that sell food. It announced a plan called Project Fresh in 2025, with four parts: brand revitalization, operational excellence, system optimization and capital allocation.

Its biggest risks, as it describes them

Competition from other restaurants and grocery stores, and a poor customer experience.
Its mostly franchised model, which depends on franchisees' health and decisions.
Food safety events or health concerns that hurt its brand.
Whether Project Fresh and its other strategic plans succeed.
A large amount of debt, and rising labor and commodity costs.

From Wendy's's annual report on Form 10-K, filed February 23, 2026, in our words; the 10-K has the full description and every risk factor. Updated with each new 10-K.

Charts show fiscal years, from the 10-K filings.

Revenue and margins

Revenue

US$ billions, fiscal years

Margins

Percent of revenue

GrossOperatingNetFree cash flow

Net income and earnings per share

From fiscal 2016 to 2025, earnings per share grew 6.3% a year and net income 2.7% a year, as buybacks cut the share count by 27%.

Net income

US$ billions, fiscal years; loss years in red.

Diluted earnings per share

US$ per share, fiscal years, restated for any stock splits; loss years in red.

Returns on capital

Return on capital and on equity

Percent. Return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business (debt plus equity, minus cash); return on equity is net income over shareholders' equity. Both use the average of opening and closing balances.

Return on capitalReturn on equity

Cash flow

Free cash flow

US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure; negative years in red.

Payouts and share count

Dividends and buybacks

US$ billions, cash paid in each fiscal year

DividendsShare buybacks

Diluted share count

Weighted-average diluted shares, millions

Valuation

Two ways to value Wendy's yourself, both starting from its filings: a discounted cash flow model and the price-to-earnings method.

Discounted cash flow (DCF)

A discounted cash flow (DCF) model values a business as the cash it may generate in future, discounted back to today. The starting figures come from Wendy's 10-K (or, for net cash and shares, its latest 10-Q) and the assumptions are yours: start from one of three example scenarios, then change any figure to see what it implies for a share, and how that compares with the last share price.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from Wendy's fiscal 2025 free cash flow of $243M, net cash of −$3.1B at December 28, 2025 and 194 million diluted shares, from its filings. The scenarios are fitted to Wendy's: the base scenario's growth in years 1 to 5 is its revenue growth over the last 3 years, 1.3% a year; the cautious and optimistic ones are lower and higher, and growth in years 6 to 10 is halfway to the long-run rate. The base scenario's discount rate is 10%: 9% for a business of moderate risk (Restaurants), plus 1 point as a smaller company, worth $1.2B; the cautious and optimistic ones use a point more and a point less. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target. A negative value means Wendy's net debt is larger than what that scenario's cash flows are worth today.

From the filings

Starting free cash flow, US$ millions

Cash from operations minus capital spending in fiscal 2025.

Net cash, US$ millions

Cash and short-term investments minus debt and finance leases at December 28, 2025. Negative means net debt.

Diluted shares, millions

Weighted-average diluted shares in fiscal 2025.

Your assumptions

Start from

Fitted to Wendy's's own revenue growth, as above. Cautious: growth of -0.5% then 1% a year, 2% after year 10, a 11% discount rate. Base: growth of 1.5% then 2% a year, 2.5% after year 10, a 10% discount rate. Optimistic: growth of 3.5% then 3% a year, 3% after year 10, a 9% discount rate.

Free cash flow growth, years 1 to 5 (% a year)

Free cash flow growth, years 6 to 10 (% a year)

Growth after year 10 (% a year)Long-run growth forever after year 10. Usually close to inflation, and always below the discount rate.

Discount rate (% a year)The yearly return an investor wants for the risk. A higher rate gives a lower value.

Value per share on these assumptions

—

Last close, October 26, 2026: $6.19
Value on these assumptions, against the last close: —

Cash flows in years 1 to 10, valued today: —
Everything after year 10, valued today: —
Plus net cash: —
Share of value from after year 10: —

Projected free cash flow

US$ billions. Each column is one year's projected free cash flow, split into what it is worth today and the part removed by discounting.

Value todayRemoved by discounting

How the value changes with two assumptions

Value per share in US$, with the growth rates above. The highlighted cell matches the current assumptions.

How the model works. Free cash flow grows at the first rate for five years and the second rate for five more, and each year is discounted at the discount rate. Everything after year 10 is valued as year-10 cash flow × (1 + growth after year 10) ÷ (discount rate − growth after year 10), discounted back ten years. Net cash is added and the total is divided by diluted shares. The result depends entirely on the assumptions. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation. The last close is the consolidated US closing price, from Databento.

Price-to-earnings (P/E) method

Another common way to value a company is to multiply its earnings per share by a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple: the number of years of today's earnings an investor pays for a share. A higher multiple usually means investors expect earnings to grow. Choose a multiple, for example from similar companies, to see the value it gives.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from Wendy's earnings per share of $0.66 (over the last four quarters). Each grows earnings for a year at the cash flow scenarios' rates and applies a multiple to next year's earnings: 17.8×, the middle of Wendy's own P/E today, its peers' median and its sector's median (the Consumer Discretionary median) for the base scenario, 20% less and more for the cautious and optimistic ones. The price is brought back a year at 11%, 10% and 9%. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

Earnings per share, US$

Diluted earnings per share over the four quarters to June 28, 2026, from the 10-Qs and 10-K.

P/E multiple

P/E today is the last close divided by the latest earnings per share, the four quarters' where available. Peers: Papa John's, Dutch Bros, Shake Shack.

Earnings growth in the years ahead (% a year) Starts at Wendy's revenue growth over the last 3 years, 1.3% a year, as the base scenario does.

Earnings per share in the years ahead, US$

Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5

Type your own estimate for any year; the years after it carry on at the growth rate.

Apply the multiple to earnings

A multiple on a future year's earnings gives the price then, brought back to today at the discount rate below.

Discount rate (% a year) The yearly return an investor wants for the risk, as in the cash flow model.

Value per share today at this multiple

—

Last close, October 26, 2026: $6.19
Value at this multiple, against the last close: —
Wendy's P/E at the last close: 9.4×

Company	Last close	Earnings per share	P/E today
Shake ShackSHAK	$64.89	$0.95	68.3×
Dutch BrosBROS	$42.02	$0.72	58.4×
Papa John'sPZZA	$18.23	$0.79	23.1×
Wendy'sWEN	$6.19	$0.66	9.4×

How the P/E method works. Value per share is earnings per share times the multiple. On a future year's earnings, that gives the price in that year, which is brought back to today at the discount rate: price ÷ (1 + discount rate) for each year ahead. It is quick and easy to compare across companies, but it ignores debt and cash, and earnings can swing with one-off gains and charges, so a multiple says most about steady, profitable businesses. Like the cash flow model, the result depends entirely on the assumptions you choose. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation.

Balance sheet

Fiscal year end	FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Cash and short-term investments	249	746	516	450	301
Debt incl. finance leases	2,956	3,442	3,351	3,338	3,434
Net debt (negative means net cash)	2,706	2,696	2,835	2,888	3,133
Net debt to EBITDA	5.5x	5.5x	5.5x	5.6x	6.3x
Debt to equity	6.8x	7.4x	10.8x	12.9x	—
Interest coverage	3.4x	2.9x	3.1x	3.0x	2.7x
Current ratio	1.4x	2.7x	2.2x	1.9x	1.8x
Quick ratio	1.4x	2.7x	2.2x	1.8x	1.7x

US$ millions unless stated, at each fiscal year end. Net debt to EBITDA is debt minus cash, divided by operating income before depreciation and amortization: roughly how many years of those earnings the net debt equals. Debt to equity is debt as a multiple of shareholders' equity. Interest coverage is operating income divided by interest expense. The current ratio is current assets over current liabilities; the quick ratio leaves out inventory.

Insider trades

Over the 12 months between October 27, 2025 and October 26, 2026, 2 insiders bought $17,846 of Wendy's shares on the open market, and none sold any.

Date	Insider	Trade	Shares	Price	Value	Filing
Nov 20, 2025	Peter J. Suerken JRPresident, U.s.	Bought	500	$7.88	$3,940	Form 4
Nov 19, 2025	John MinChief Legal Ofcr & Secretary	Bought	1,700	$8.18	$13,906	Form 4

Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from their Form 4 filings with the SEC: one row per person, day and filing, at the day's average price. Grants, option exercises and shares withheld for tax aren't counted. Insiders buy and sell for many reasons, such as taxes, spreading their savings or a plan set up months earlier, so a trade on its own says little about where a company is heading. For information only, not investment advice. Insider trades at all companies

Piotroski F-score

The F-score counts how many of nine simple tests of profitability, funding and efficiency a company passed in a year (Piotroski, 2000). The more tests passed, the stronger the year: 8 or 9 is strong, 0 to 2 weak. Companies that report no gross profit are scored on the other eight.

Test	FY23	FY24	FY25
Net income is positive	Pass	Pass	Pass
Cash from operations is positive	Pass	Pass	Pass
Return on assets rose	Pass	Pass	Fail
Cash from operations exceeds net income	Pass	Pass	Pass
Debt fell relative to assets	Pass	Fail	Fail
Current ratio rose	Fail	Fail	Fail
Share count didn't rise	Pass	Pass	Pass
Gross margin rose	Pass	Pass	Fail
Revenue rose relative to assets	Fail	Pass	Fail
F-score	7 of 9	7 of 9	4 of 9
Accruals ratio	−2.6%	−3.1%	−3.6%

The accruals ratio is net income minus cash from operations, over average total assets.

Compare

Put Wendy's side by side with any other company we cover: revenue, growth, margins, cash flow and returns, with ten years of charts.

Similar companies

Company	Year	Revenue growth	Operating margin	Free cash flow margin	Return on capital	Net debt to EBITDA	F-score	Compare
Wendy's	FY25	−3.1%	15.8%	11.2%	7.8%	6.3x	4
Dave & Buster's	FY25	−1.4%	4.1%	−4.8%	4.1%	4.3x	6	Compare
Papa John's	FY25	−0.3%	4.3%	3.0%	19.3%	4.0x	4	Compare
Dutch Bros	FY25	27.9%	9.8%	3.3%	11.9%	1.3x	5	Compare
Shake Shack	FY25	15.4%	4.3%	3.9%	9.6%	−0.6x	7	Compare

Each company's latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so the periods don't line up exactly. Free cash flow margin is free cash flow as a share of revenue. Net debt to EBITDA is explained under the balance sheet, and the F-score above.

10 years of figures

Fiscal year	FY16	FY17	FY18	FY19	FY20	FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25
Income statement
Revenue	1,435	1,223	1,590	1,709	1,734	1,897	2,096	2,182	2,246	2,177
Revenue growth	−23.2%	−14.8%	30.0%	7.5%	1.4%	9.4%	10.5%	4.1%	3.0%	−3.1%
Gross profit	683	706	1,041	1,112	1,119	1,285	1,322	1,387	1,463	1,385
Research and development	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Operating income	315	215	250	263	269	367	353	382	371	344
Net income	130	194	460	137	118	200	177	204	194	165
Diluted EPS (US$)	0.49	0.77	1.88	0.58	0.52	0.89	0.82	0.97	0.95	0.85
Diluted shares (millions)	267	252	245	235	228	224	216	212	206	194
Cash flow
Cash from operations	194	239	224	289	284	346	260	345	355	344
Capital expenditure	150	82	70	74	69	78	86	85	94	102
Free cash flow	44	157	154	214	215	268	174	260	261	243
Dividends paid	64	68	80	96	65	95	107	209	204	130
Share buybacks	337	126	270	218	62	268	52	190	77	201
Acquisitions	2	87	21	5	5	123	0	0	0	17
Stock-based compensation	18	21	18	19	19	22	24	24	23	15
Balance sheet at fiscal year end
Cash and short-term investments	198	171	431	300	307	249	746	516	450	301
Debt incl. finance leases	2,512	2,754	2,329	2,772	2,765	2,956	3,442	3,351	3,338	3,434
Total assets	3,939	4,097	4,292	4,994	5,040	5,101	5,499	5,183	5,035	4,957
Total liabilities	3,412	3,524	3,644	4,478	4,490	4,665	5,034	4,873	4,776	4,839
Shareholders' equity	528	573	648	516	550	436	466	310	259	117
Margins and ratios
Gross margin	47.6%	57.7%	65.5%	65.0%	64.5%	67.8%	63.1%	63.6%	65.1%	63.6%
Operating margin	21.9%	17.6%	15.7%	15.4%	15.5%	19.3%	16.9%	17.5%	16.5%	15.8%
Net margin	9.0%	15.9%	28.9%	8.0%	6.8%	10.6%	8.5%	9.4%	8.7%	7.6%
Free cash flow margin	3.0%	12.8%	9.7%	12.6%	12.4%	14.1%	8.3%	11.9%	11.6%	11.2%
Return on capital	7.1%	7.2%	7.0%	7.6%	6.9%	9.9%	8.2%	8.9%	8.4%	7.8%
Return on equity	20.2%	35.2%	75.3%	23.5%	22.1%	40.6%	39.3%	52.7%	68.3%	—
Return on assets	3.2%	4.8%	11.0%	3.0%	2.4%	4.0%	3.4%	3.8%	3.8%	3.3%
Net debt to EBITDA	5.3x	7.6x	5.0x	6.3x	6.1x	5.5x	5.5x	5.5x	5.6x	6.3x

US$ millions unless stated. Where a later 10-K restated a year, the latest filed figure is shown. Download all figures (CSV, US$ millions)

Source: Wendy's Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR. For information only, not investment advice. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with Wendy's.