Wendy’s stock rating maintained at Market Perform by Bernstein amid CEO departure

Published 09/07/2025, 12:20
Wendy’s stock rating maintained at Market Perform by Bernstein amid CEO departure

Investing.com - Bernstein SocGen Group has reiterated its Market Perform rating and $15.00 price target on Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN), currently trading at $11.29, following the announcement of CEO Kirk Tanner’s upcoming departure. According to InvestingPro analysis, the company appears slightly undervalued based on its Fair Value assessment.

Wendy’s announced that Tanner, who joined the company in February 2024, will be leaving on July 18, 2025. The company’s board has initiated a search for a new chief executive, considering both internal and external candidates.

The fast-food chain’s stock has declined approximately 31% year-to-date and about 60% since Tanner’s appointment, according to Bernstein’s analysis.

Bernstein analyst Danilo Gargiulo noted that Tanner is leaving Wendy’s "in a challenging moment for the stock" with "mixed results in regaining investors’ trust."

The research firm expects Wendy’s stock will "continue to disappoint, as long as the corporate governance and organizational stability issues remain unaddressed."

In other recent news, Wendy’s announced that its CEO, Kirk Tanner, will step down, with CFO Ken Cook stepping in as interim CEO. BTIG maintained a Neutral rating on Wendy’s stock following the leadership change, expressing skepticism about the company’s long-term growth while noting the potential benefits of restaurant remodels. Meanwhile, at Wendy’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, all 10 director nominees were elected, and Deloitte & Touche LLP’s appointment as the company’s independent auditor was ratified. Guggenheim Securities downgraded Wendy’s stock from Buy to Neutral, citing the need for a strategic reassessment of its growth and profitability balance. BMO Capital Markets reduced its price target for Wendy’s shares to $15.00, attributing the adjustment to the company’s first-quarter earnings that met expectations and revised 2025 guidance. UBS maintained a Neutral rating with a $14.00 price target, highlighting weaker-than-expected same-store sales and a downward revision in 2025 guidance. Wendy’s aims to strengthen its market position and increase its global unit development, despite facing challenges in the current economic climate.

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