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1月前
THE WENDY'S COMPANY REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2026 RESULTSMay 8, 2026 7:00 AM
PR Newswire (US) Global systemwide sales were $3.2 billion, a decrease of 5.5%International systemwide sales grew 6.0%Reported net income was $22.7 million and adjusted EBITDA was $111.3 millionReported diluted earnings per share and adjusted earnings per share were $0.12Entered into a franchise agreement to build up to 1,000 restaurants across ChinaReaffirms full-year 2026 outlookDUBLIN, Ohio, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) today reported unaudited results for the first quarter ended March 29, 2026. "We are taking decisive action to strengthen the Wendy's system and improve performance," said Ken Cook, Interim CEO. "During the first quarter, we introduced a new Biggie platform, upgraded our premium hamburgers, and launched new chicken sandwiches. Additionally, our focus on operational excellence is driving improvement in order accuracy and key customer satisfaction metrics. While our first quarter results reflect a business in the early stages of a turnaround, we are making progress to improve our U.S. business and are confident in the direction we are heading.""Our international business continues to deliver strong results, with systemwide sales up 6.0% in the quarter supported by further expansion in key growth markets. We're also excited to announce today a new franchise agreement with an experienced restaurant operator to build up to 1,000 restaurants across China over the next 10 years and look forward to bringing Wendy's to more fans around the globe.""These actions are strengthening our foundation and positioning Wendy's to regain momentum and deliver sustainable growth and long-term value creation."Operational Highlights2025
2026
First QuarterUS
Intl
Global
US
Intl
Global
Systemwide Sales Growth (1) (2)(2.6) %
8.9 %
(1.1) %
(7.3) %
6.0 %
(5.5) %Same-Restaurant Sales Growth (1) (2)(2.8) %
2.3 %
(2.1) %
(7.8) %
(0.4) %
(6.8) %Systemwide Sales (In US$ Millions) (2) (3)$2,916.1
$473.2
$3,389.3
$2,702.9
$518.0
$3,220.9Restaurant Openings - Total / Net28 / 25
46 / 43
74 / 68
23 / (164)
27 / 18
50 / (146)Quarter End Restaurant Count5,958
1,350
7,308
5,805
1,446
7,251(1) Systemwide sales growth and same-restaurant sales growth are calculated on a constant currency basis and include sales by both
Company-operated and franchise restaurants.(2) Excludes Argentina.(3) Systemwide sales include sales at both Company-operated and franchise restaurants. Financial HighlightsFirst Quarter
2025
2026
B / (W)
($ In Millions Except Per Share Amounts)(Unaudited)
Total Revenues$ 523.5
$ 540.6
3.3 %Adjusted Revenues (1)$ 423.1
$ 432.3
2.2 %U.S. Company-Operated Restaurant Margin14.8 %
11.4 %
(340)bpsGeneral and Administrative Expense$ 68.2
$ 72.8
(6.7) %Operating Profit$ 83.1
$ 64.9
(21.9) %Net Income$ 39.2
$ 22.7
(42.1) %Adjusted EBITDA (1)$ 124.5
$ 111.3
(10.6) %Reported Diluted Earnings Per Share$ 0.19
$ 0.12
(36.8) %Adjusted Earnings Per Share (1)$ 0.20
$ 0.12
(40.0) %Cash Flow from Operations$ 85.4
$ 59.4
(30.4) %Free Cash Flow (1)$ 68.0
$ 36.5
(46.3) %
(1) See "Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the reconciliation tables that accompany this release for a
discussion and reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures included in this release.First Quarter Financial HighlightsSystemwide Sales
Global systemwide sales decreased, driven largely by lower U.S. same-restaurant sales, partially offset by contributions from new restaurant openings.Total Revenues
The increase in total reported revenues resulted primarily from an increase in franchise fees related to the system optimization program, higher advertising funds revenue due to local advertising funds being reallocated to U.S. national advertising, and higher Company-operated restaurant sales reflecting the Company's acquisition of franchise-operated restaurants during the third quarter of 2025. These were partially offset by lower franchise royalty revenue.U.S. Company-Operated Restaurant Margin
The decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin was primarily due to a decline in traffic, commodity inflation, and labor rate inflation. These were partially offset by an increase in average check and labor efficiencies.General and Administrative Expense
The increase in general and administrative expense was primarily due to an increase in employee compensation and benefits and higher professional fees.Operating Profit
The decrease in operating profit was primarily due to a decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin, lower franchisee royalty revenue, an increase in general and administrative expense, and an increase in depreciation and amortization expense. These were partially offset by higher net franchisee fees.Net Income
The decrease in reported net income was primarily due to a decrease in operating profit and an increase in interest expense, partially offset by lower income taxes.Adjusted EBITDA
The decrease in adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by a decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin, lower franchise royalty revenue, and an increase in general and administrative expense. These were partially offset by higher net franchise fees.Adjusted Earnings Per Share
The decrease in adjusted earnings per share was primarily driven by a decrease in adjusted EBITDA, an increase in depreciation, and an increase in interest expense.Free Cash Flow
The decrease in free cash flow was driven by a decrease in net cash provided by operating activities, partially offset by a decrease in capital expenditures and investments associated with the Company's franchise development fund.Company Declares Quarterly Dividend
The Company announced today the declaration of its regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share. The dividend is payable on June 15, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 1, 2026.Share Repurchases
The Company did not repurchase any shares in the first quarter of 2026 and has not repurchased any shares in the second quarter of 2026 as of the date of this release. As of May 1, approximately $35.0 million remained available under the Company's existing share repurchase authorization that expires in February 2027.2026 OutlookDuring 2026 the Company Continues to Expect:Global systemwide sales growthApproximately Flat
Adjusted EBITDA$460 to $480 million
Adjusted earnings per share$0.56 to $0.60
Capital expenditures and franchise development fund investments$120 to $130 million
Free cash flow$190 to $205 million
Conference Call and Webcast Scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Today, May 8
The Company will host a conference call on Friday, May 8 at 8:30 a.m. ET, with a simultaneous webcast from the Company's Investor Relations website at www.irwendys.com. The related presentation materials are now available on the Company's Investor Relations website. The live conference call will be available by telephone at (844) 200-6205 for domestic callers and (929) 526-1599 for international callers, both using event ID 280384. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website.About Wendy's
The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) and Wendy's® franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide. Founded in 1969, Wendy's is committed to the promise of Fresh Famous Food, Made Right, For You, delivered to customers through its craveable menu including made-to-order square hamburgers using fresh beef*, and fan favorites like the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and nuggets, Baconator®, and the Frosty® dessert. Wendy's supports the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®, established by its founder, which seeks to dramatically increase the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America's foster care system. Learn more about Wendy's at www.wendys.com. For details on franchising, visit www.wendys.com/franchising. Connect with Wendy's on X, Instagram and Facebook.*Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska, as well as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the UK, and other select international markets.Investor Contact:
Aaron Broholm
Head of Investor Relations
(614) 764-3345; aaron.broholm@wendys.comMedia Contact:
Heidi Schauer
Vice President – Communications, Public Affairs & Customer Care
(614) 764-3368; heidi.schauer@wendys.comForward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain statements that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). Generally, forward-looking statements include the words "may," "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimate," "goal," "upcoming," "outlook," "guidance" or the negation thereof, or similar expressions. In addition, all statements that address future operating, financial or business performance, strategies or initiatives, future efficiencies or savings, anticipated costs or charges, future capitalization, anticipated impacts of recent or pending investments or transactions and statements expressing general views about future results or brand health are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Reform Act. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's expectations at the time such statements are made, speak only as of the dates they are made and are susceptible to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. For all such forward-looking statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. The Company's actual results, performance and achievements may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Company's forward-looking statements.Many important factors could affect the Company's future results and cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the Company's forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the impact of competition or poor customer experiences at Wendy's restaurants; (2) adverse economic conditions or volatility or disruptions, including in regions with a high concentration of Wendy's restaurants; (3) changes in discretionary consumer spending and consumer tastes and preferences; (4) conditions beyond the Company's control, such as adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, hostilities, social unrest, health epidemics or pandemics or other catastrophic events; (5) impacts to the Company's corporate reputation or the value and perception of the Company's brand; (6) the effectiveness of the Company's marketing and advertising programs and new product development; (7) the Company's ability to manage the impact of social or digital media; (8) the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property; (9) food safety events or health concerns involving the Company's products; (10) the Company's ability to successfully implement important strategic initiatives, including its Project Fresh plan, effectively managing or maintaining growth and market share across its dayparts or executing strategic transactions; (11) the Company's ability to grow its business through new restaurant development; (12) the Company's ability to effectively manage the acquisition and disposition of restaurants and other restaurant activity; (13) risks associated with leasing and owning significant amounts of real estate, including environmental matters; (14) risks associated with the Company's international operations, including the ability to execute its international growth strategy; (15) changes in commodity and other operating costs; (16) shortages or interruptions in the supply or distribution of the Company's products and other risks associated with the Company's independent supply chain purchasing co-op; (17) the impact of increased labor costs or labor shortages; (18) the continued succession and retention of key personnel and the effectiveness of the Company's leadership and organizational structure; (19) risks associated with the Company's digital commerce strategy, platforms and technologies, including its ability to adapt to changes in industry trends and consumer preferences; (20) the Company's and its franchisees' dependence on computer systems and information technology, including risks associated with the failure or interruption of its systems or technology or the occurrence of cybersecurity incidents or deficiencies; (21) risks associated with the Company's securitized financing facility and other debt agreements, including compliance with operational and financial covenants, restrictions on its ability to raise additional capital, the impact of its overall debt levels and the Company's ability to generate sufficient cash flow to meet its debt service obligations and operate its business; (22) risks associated with the Company's capital allocation policy, including the amount and timing of equity and debt repurchases and dividend payments; (23) risks associated with complaints and litigation, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and a focus on corporate responsibility issues; (24) risks associated with the availability and cost of insurance, the recognition of impairment or other charges, changes in tax rates or tax laws and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; (25) risks associated with the Company's predominantly franchised business model; (26) Trian Fund Management, L.P. and certain of its affiliates filed a Schedule 13D/A with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2026 indicating, among other things, that they intend to explore and evaluate the possibility of participating, alone or with third parties, in certain potential transactions with respect to the Company to enhance stockholder value; there can be no assurance that (i) any such potential transactions will occur or result in additional value for the Company's stockholders or (ii) that the exploration of potential transactions will not have an adverse impact on the Company's business; and (27) other risks and uncertainties cited in the Company's releases, public statements and/or filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those identified in the "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's Forms 10-K and 10-Q.All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to above. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and factors that the Company currently deems immaterial may become material, and it is impossible for the Company to predict these events or how they may affect the Company.The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this release as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by federal securities laws, although the Company may do so from time to time. The Company does not endorse any projections regarding future performance that may be made by third parties.Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to the financial measures presented in this release in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), the Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release, including adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow.The Company uses adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per share as internal measures of business operating performance and as performance measures for benchmarking against the Company's peers and competitors. Adjusted EBITDA is also used by the Company in establishing performance goals for purposes of executive compensation. The Company believes its presentation of adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per share provides a meaningful perspective of the underlying operating performance of our current business and enables investors to better understand and evaluate our historical and prospective operating performance. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are important supplemental measures of operating performance because they eliminate items that vary from period to period without correlation to our core operating performance and highlight trends in our business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP financial measures. Due to the nature and/or size of the items being excluded, such items do not reflect future gains, losses, expenses or benefits and are not indicative of our future operating performance. The Company believes investors, analysts and other interested parties use adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted earnings per share in evaluating issuers, and the presentation of these measures facilitates a comparative assessment of the Company's operating performance in addition to the Company's performance based on GAAP results.This release also includes disclosure regarding the Company's free cash flow. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that is used by the Company as an internal measure of liquidity. The Company defines free cash flow as cash flows from operations minus (i) capital expenditures, (ii) expenditures related to the Company's franchise development fund and (iii) the net change in the restricted operating assets and liabilities of the advertising funds and any excess/deficit of advertising funds revenue over advertising funds expense included in net income, as reported under GAAP. The impact of our advertising funds is excluded because the funds are used solely for advertising and are not available for the Company's working capital needs. The Company may also make additional adjustments for certain non-recurring or unusual items to the extent identified in the reconciliation tables that accompany this release. The Company believes free cash flow is an important liquidity measure for investors and other interested persons because it communicates how much cash flow is available for working capital needs or to be used for repurchasing shares, paying dividends, repaying or refinancing debt, financing possible acquisitions or investments or other uses of cash.Adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow are not recognized terms under GAAP, and the Company's presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures does not replace the presentation of the Company's financial results in accordance with GAAP. Because all companies do not calculate adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow (and similarly titled financial measures) in the same way, those measures as used by other companies may not be consistent with the way the Company calculates such measures. The non-GAAP financial measures included in this release should not be construed as substitutes for or better indicators of the Company's performance than the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. See the reconciliation tables that accompany this release for additional information regarding certain of the non-GAAP financial measures included herein.In addition, this release includes forward-looking projections for certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow. The Company excludes certain expenses and benefits from adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow, such as the impact from our advertising funds, including the net change in the restricted operating assets and liabilities and any excess or deficit of advertising fund revenues over advertising fund expenses, impairment of long-lived assets, reorganization and realignment costs, system optimization gains, net, amortization of cloud computing arrangements, gain on early extinguishment of debt, net, and the timing and resolution of certain tax matters. Due to the uncertainty and variability of the nature and amount of those expenses and benefits, the Company is unable without unreasonable effort to provide projections of net income, earnings per share or net cash provided by operating activities, or a reconciliation of those projected measures.Key Business Measures
The Company tracks its results of operations and manages its business using certain key business measures, including same-restaurant sales, systemwide sales and Company-operated restaurant margin, which are measures commonly used in the quick-service restaurant industry that are important to understanding Company performance.Same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales each include sales by both Company-operated and franchise restaurants. The Company reports same-restaurant sales for new restaurants after they have been open for 15 continuous months and for reimaged restaurants as soon as they reopen. Restaurants temporarily closed for more than one fiscal week are excluded from same-restaurant sales.Franchise restaurant sales are reported by our franchisees and represent their revenues from sales at franchised Wendy's restaurants. Sales by franchise restaurants are not recorded as Company revenues and are not included in the Company's consolidated financial statements. However, the Company's royalty revenues are computed as percentages of sales made by Wendy's franchisees and, as a result, sales by franchisees have a direct effect on the Company's royalty revenues and profitability.Same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales exclude sales from Argentina due to the highly inflationary economy of that country.The Company calculates same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales growth on a constant currency basis. Constant currency results exclude the impact of foreign currency translation and are derived by translating current year results at prior year average exchange rates. The Company believes excluding the impact of foreign currency translation provides better year over year comparability.U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin is defined as sales from U.S. Company-operated restaurants less cost of sales divided by sales from U.S. Company-operated restaurants. Cost of sales includes food and paper, restaurant labor and occupancy, advertising and other operating costs. Cost of sales excludes certain costs that support restaurant operations that are not allocated to individual restaurants, which are included in "General and administrative." Cost of sales also excludes depreciation and amortization expense and impairment of long-lived assets. Therefore, as restaurant margin as presented excludes certain costs as described above, its usefulness may be limited and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies in our industry. The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Statements of OperationsThree Month Periods Ended March 30, 2025 and March 29, 2026(In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
2025
2026Revenues:
Sales$ 219,510
$ 225,497Franchise royalty revenue121,675
116,190Franchise fees23,473
31,705Franchise rental income58,454
58,904Advertising funds revenue100,360
108,341
523,472
540,637Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales188,169
201,049Franchise support and other costs16,596
21,991Franchise rental expense30,701
30,176Advertising funds expense101,528
108,615General and administrative68,204
72,843Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of amortization of cloud computing
arrangements shown separately below)36,549
40,575Amortization of cloud computing arrangements4,167
4,762System optimization losses (gains), net90
(1,625)Reorganization and realignment costs(692)
(162)Impairment of long-lived assets1,421
2,572Other operating income, net(6,387)
(5,080)
440,346
475,716Operating profit83,126
64,921Interest expense, net(31,477)
(34,106)Investment loss, net(1,718)
—Other income, net4,986
3,350Income before income taxes54,917
34,165Provision for income taxes(15,685)
(11,453)Net income$ 39,232
$ 22,712
Net income per share:
Basic$ .20
$ .12Diluted.19
.12
Number of shares used to calculate basic income per share200,643
190,293
Number of shares used to calculate diluted income per share201,617
190,900 The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Balance SheetsAs of December 28, 2025 and March 29, 2026(In Thousands Except Par Value)(Unaudited)
December 28,
2025
March 29,
2026ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents$ 300,833
$ 298,740Restricted cash39,207
39,295Accounts and notes receivable, net117,333
125,055Inventories7,387
6,604Prepaid expenses and other current assets55,412
73,419Advertising funds restricted assets97,867
109,149Total current assets618,039
652,262Properties937,795
908,478Finance lease assets312,844
325,538Operating lease assets642,589
611,376Goodwill774,088
773,710Other intangible assets1,170,671
1,158,395Investments25,227
24,499Net investment in sales-type and direct financing leases284,891
279,671Other assets190,417
190,693Total assets$ 4,956,561
$ 4,924,622
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt$ 29,750
$ 29,750Current portion of finance lease liabilities26,673
27,334Current portion of operating lease liabilities51,119
52,318Accounts payable30,450
23,596Accrued expenses and other current liabilities116,655
114,812Advertising funds restricted liabilities96,454
108,348Total current liabilities351,101
356,158Long-term debt2,730,502
2,724,896Long-term finance lease liabilities646,715
655,082Long-term operating lease liabilities660,257
627,213Deferred income taxes287,753
288,492Deferred franchise fees87,956
84,426Other liabilities74,894
72,804Total liabilities4,839,178
4,809,071Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.10 par value; 1,500,000 shares authorized; 470,424 shares issued; 190,324 and 190,450 shares outstanding, respectively47,042
47,042Additional paid-in capital2,986,150
2,989,355Retained earnings435,124
431,173Common stock held in treasury, at cost; 280,100 and 279,974 shares, respectively(3,286,965)
(3,285,255)Accumulated other comprehensive loss(63,968)
(66,764)Total stockholders' equity117,383
115,551Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$ 4,956,561
$ 4,924,622 The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Statements of Cash FlowsThree Month Periods Ended March 30, 2025 and March 29, 2026(In Thousands)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
2025
2026Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income$ 39,232
$ 22,712Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of amortization ofcloud computing arrangements shown separately below)36,549
40,575Amortization of cloud computing arrangements4,167
4,762Share-based compensation5,572
5,246Impairment of long-lived assets1,421
2,572Deferred income tax306
956Non-cash rental expense, net10,350
10,925Change in operating lease liabilities(12,131)
(12,584)Net receipt (recognition) of deferred vendor incentives11,178
(2,535)System optimization losses (gains), net90
(1,625)Distributions received from joint ventures, net of equity in earnings717
341Long-term debt-related activities, net1,873
1,832Cloud computing arrangements expenditures(2,417)
(4,157)Changes in operating assets and liabilities and other, net(11,492)
(9,631)Net cash provided by operating activities85,415
59,389Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures(17,679)
(11,881)Franchise development fund(5,813)
(4,580)Dispositions55
2,796Notes receivable, net1,949
—Net cash used in investing activities(21,488)
(13,665)Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt15,000
15,100Repayments of long-term debt(15,813)
(22,538)Repayments of finance lease liabilities(5,238)
(5,970)Repurchases of common stock(122,784)
—Dividends(49,432)
(26,648)Proceeds from stock option exercises273
—Payments related to tax withholding for share-based compensation(1,326)
(423)Net cash used in financing activities(179,320)
(40,479)Net cash (used in) provided by operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash(115,393)
5,245Effect of exchange rate changes on cash744
(886)Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash(114,649)
4,359Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period503,608
357,672Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period$ 388,959
$ 362,031 The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesReconciliations of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA and Revenues to Adjusted RevenuesThree Month Periods Ended March 30, 2025 and March 29, 2026(In Thousands)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
2025
2026
Net income$ 39,232
$ 22,712Provision for income taxes15,685
11,453Income before income taxes54,917
34,165Other income, net(4,986)
(3,350)Investment loss, net1,718
—Interest expense, net31,477
34,106Operating profit83,126
64,921Plus (less):
Advertising funds revenue(100,360)
(108,341)Advertising funds expense (a)100,216
108,612Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of amortization of cloud computing
arrangements shown separately below)36,549
40,575Amortization of cloud computing arrangements4,167
4,762System optimization losses (gains), net90
(1,625)Reorganization and realignment costs(692)
(162)Impairment of long-lived assets1,421
2,572Adjusted EBITDA$ 124,517
$ 111,314
Revenues$ 523,472
$ 540,637Less:
Advertising funds revenue(100,360)
(108,341)Adjusted revenues$ 423,112
$ 432,296(a)Excludes advertising funds expense of $159 for the three months ended March 30, 2025 related to the Company's funding of incremental advertising. There was no funding of incremental advertising during the three months ended March 29, 2026. In addition, excludes other international-related advertising deficit of $1,153 and $3 for the three months ended March 30, 2025 and March 29, 2026, respectively. The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesReconciliation of Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share toAdjusted Income and Adjusted Earnings Per ShareThree Month Periods Ended March 30, 2025 and March 29, 2026(In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
2025
2026
Net income$ 39,232
$ 22,712Plus (less):
Advertising funds revenue(100,360)
(108,341)Advertising funds expense (a)100,216
108,612System optimization losses (gains), net90
(1,625)Reorganization and realignment costs(692)
(162)Impairment of long-lived assets1,421
2,572Total adjustments675
1,056Income tax impact on adjustments (b)(209)
(192)Total adjustments, net of income taxes466
864Adjusted income$ 39,698
$ 23,576
Diluted earnings per share$ .19
$ .12Total adjustments per share, net of income taxes.01
—Adjusted earnings per share$ .20
$ .12(a)Excludes advertising funds expense of $159 for the three months ended March 30, 2025 related to the Company's funding of incremental advertising. There was no funding of incremental advertising during the three months ended March 29, 2026. In addition, excludes other international-related advertising deficit of $1,153 and $3 for the three months ended March 30, 2025 and March 29, 2026, respectively.
(b)Adjustments relate to the tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments, which were determined based on the nature of the underlying non-GAAP adjustments and their relevant jurisdictional tax rates. The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesReconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash FlowThree Month Periods Ended March 30, 2025 and March 29, 2026(In Thousands)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
2025
2026Net cash provided by operating activities$ 85,415
$ 59,389Plus (less):
Capital expenditures(17,679)
(11,881)Franchise development fund(5,813)
(4,580)Advertising funds impact (a)6,093
(6,399)Free cash flow$ 68,016
$ 36,529(a)Represents the net change in the restricted operating assets and liabilities of our advertising funds, which is included in "Changes in operating assets and liabilities and other, net," and the excess of advertising funds expense over advertising funds revenue, which is included in "Net income." View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-wendys-company-reports-first-quarter-2026-results-302766438.htmlSOURCE The Wendy’s Company Original: THE WENDY'S COMPANY REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2026 RESULTS
US Market News
4月前
THE WENDY'S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOKFebruary 13, 2026 7:00 AM
PR Newswire (US)
Global systemwide sales for the fourth quarter were $3.4 billion, a decrease of 8.3%, and for the full year were $14.0 billion, a decrease of 3.5%.International systemwide sales for the fourth quarter and full year grew 6.2% and 8.1%, respectively.Added 34 net new restaurants in the fourth quarter, bringing total additions to 157 net new restaurants for the full year, an increase of 2.2%.Reported net income for the fourth quarter and full year were $26.5 million and $165.1 million, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter and full year were $113.3 million and $522.4 million, respectively.Reported diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter and full year were $0.14 and $0.85, respectively. Adjusted earnings per share for the fourth quarter and full year were $0.16 and $0.88, respectively.Net cash provided by operating activities for the full year was $344.5 million and free cash flow for the full year was $205.4 million.Returned $329.6 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases for the full year, an increase of over $48 million from the prior year.DUBLIN, Ohio, Feb. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) today reported unaudited results for the fourth quarter ended December 28, 2025.
"Our fourth quarter performance was in line with our expectations, reflecting the challenges we anticipated," said Ken Cook, Interim CEO. "We are making progress against our Project Fresh turnaround plan in the U.S. and continue to deliver strong growth internationally. International systemwide sales were up 6.2% in the quarter and 8.1% for the full year, supported by 121 net new restaurants in 2025, reinforcing the global strength of the Wendy's brand.""We're encouraged by the operational improvements we've driven at U.S. Company-operated restaurants and our marketing calendar for 2026, which includes new everyday Biggie value offerings and upcoming innovation across our core menu," continued Cook. "We're executing Project Fresh with urgency to strengthen our foundation and position Wendy's for long-term success."Operational Highlights2024
2025
Fourth QuarterUS
Intl
Global
US
Intl
Global
Systemwide Sales Growth (1) (2)4.5 %
11.3 %
5.4 %
(10.5) %
6.2 %
(8.3) %Same-Restaurant Sales Growth (1) (2)4.1 %
4.9 %
4.3 %
(11.3) %
(2.0) %
(10.1) %Systemwide Sales (In US$ Millions) (2) (3)$3,179.2
$495.0
$3,674.2
$2,846.0
$528.1
$3,374.1Restaurant Openings - Total / Net36 / (78)
77 / 26
113 / (52)
37 / (10)
59 / 44
96 / 34Quarter End Restaurant Count5,933
1,307
7,240
5,969
1,428
7,397
Full YearUS
Intl
Global
US
Intl
GlobalSystemwide Sales Growth (1) (2)2.2 %
9.0 %
3.1 %
(5.2) %
8.1 %
(3.5) %Same-Restaurant Sales Growth (1) (2)1.4 %
2.8 %
1.5 %
(5.6) %
1.3 %
(4.7) %Systemwide Sales (In US$ Millions) (2) (3)$12,553.8
$1,933.6
$14,487.4
$11,897.5
$2,064.1
$13,961.6Restaurant Openings - Total / Net101 / (97)
175 / 97
276 / 0
109 / 36
159 / 121
268 / 157
(1) Systemwide sales growth and same-restaurant sales growth are calculated on a constant currency basis and include sales by both Company-operated and franchise restaurants.(2) Excludes Argentina.(3) Systemwide sales include sales at both Company-operated and franchise restaurants. Financial HighlightsFourth Quarter
Full Year
2024
2025
B / (W)
2024
2025
B / (W)
($ In Millions Except Per Share Amounts)(Unaudited)
Total Revenues$ 574.3
$ 543.0
(5.5) %
$ 2,246.5
$ 2,176.9
(3.1) %Adjusted Revenues (1)$ 459.3
$ 439.6
(4.3) %
$ 1,788.4
$ 1,754.8
(1.9) %U.S. Company-Operated Restaurant Margin16.5 %
12.7 %
(3.8) %
16.0 %
14.2 %
(1.8) %General and Administrative Expense$ 67.2
$ 67.1
0.1 %
$ 255.2
$ 252.7
1.0 %Operating Profit$ 96.0
$ 64.0
(33.3) %
$ 371.4
$ 343.5
(7.5) %Net Income$ 47.5
$ 26.5
(44.2) %
$ 194.4
$ 165.1
(15.1) %Adjusted EBITDA (1)$ 137.5
$ 113.3
(17.6) %
$ 543.6
$ 522.4
(3.9) %Reported Diluted Earnings Per Share$ 0.23
$ 0.14
(39.1) %
$ 0.95
$ 0.85
(10.5) %Adjusted Earnings Per Share (1)$ 0.25
$ 0.16
(36.0) %
$ 1.00
$ 0.88
(12.0) %Cash Flow from Operations
$ 355.3
$ 344.5
(3.0) %Free Cash Flow (1) (2)
$ 237.7
$ 205.4
(13.6) %
(1) See "Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the reconciliation tables that accompany this release for a discussion and reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures included in this release.(2) Beginning with the three months ended March 30, 2025, the Company modified its definition of free cash flow to reflect expenditures related to its franchise development fund. The prior period has been revised to conform to the current year presentation.Fourth Quarter Financial HighlightsSystemwide Sales
Global systemwide sales decreased, driven largely by lower U.S. same-restaurant sales, partially offset by contributions from net new restaurant openings.Total Revenues
The decrease in total reported revenues resulted primarily from lower advertising funds revenue, lower franchise royalty revenue, and a decrease in franchise fees.U.S. Company-Operated Restaurant Margin
The decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin was primarily due to a decline in traffic, commodity inflation, and labor rate inflation. These were partially offset by an increase in average check and labor efficiencies.General and Administrative Expense
The decrease in general and administrative expense was primarily due to lower incentive compensation, partially offset by an increase in employee compensation and benefits.Operating Profit
The decrease in operating profit was primarily due to lower net franchise fees, lower franchise royalty revenue, and a decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin. These were partially offset by a decrease in the Company's funding of incremental advertising spend.Net Income
The decrease in reported net income was primarily due to a decrease in operating profit and a decrease in other income, partially offset by lower income taxes.Adjusted EBITDA
The decrease in adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by lower net franchise fees, lower franchise royalty revenue, and a decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin. These were partially offset by a decrease in the Company's funding of incremental advertising spend and higher other operating income.Adjusted Earnings Per Share
The decrease in adjusted earnings per share was primarily driven by a decrease in adjusted EBITDA, an increase in depreciation and cloud computing amortization expenses, and lower other income. These were partially offset by a lower effective income tax rate primarily due to the one-time unfavorable deferred state income tax adjustment in the prior year.Full Year Financial HighlightsSystemwide Sales
Global systemwide sales decreased primarily due to lower same-restaurant sales in the U.S. segment, partially offset by contributions from net new restaurant openings and same-restaurant sales growth in the International segment.Total Revenues
The decrease in total reported revenues resulted primarily from lower advertising funds revenue, lower franchise royalty revenue, and lower U.S. Company-operated restaurant sales.U.S. Company-Operated Restaurant Margin
The decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin was primarily due to a decline in traffic, commodity inflation, and labor rate inflation. These were partially offset by an increase in average check and labor efficiencies.General and Administrative Expense
The decrease in general and administrative expense was primarily due to lower share-based compensation and lower incentive compensation, partially offset by higher employee compensation and benefits.Operating Profit
The decrease in operating profit was primarily due to lower franchise royalty revenue, lower U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin, and a decrease in net franchise fees. These were partially offset by a decrease in the Company's funding of incremental advertising spend and higher other operating income.Net Income
The decrease in reported net income was primarily due to a decrease in operating profit and a decrease in other income, partially offset by lower income taxes.Adjusted EBITDA
The decrease in adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by lower franchise royalty revenue, a decrease in U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin, and lower net franchise fees. These were partially offset by a decrease in the Company's funding of incremental advertising spend and higher other operating income.Adjusted Earnings Per Share
The decrease in adjusted earnings per share was driven by a decrease in adjusted EBITDA, an increase in depreciation and cloud computing amortization expenses, and lower other income. These were partially offset by fewer shares outstanding as a result of the Company's share repurchase program.Free Cash Flow
The decrease in free cash flow was driven by a decrease in net cash provided by operating activities and an increase in capital expenditures. These were partially offset by a decrease in investments associated with the Company's franchise development fund.Company Declares Quarterly Dividend
The Company announced today the declaration of its regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share. The dividend is payable on March 16, 2026, to shareholders of record as of March 2, 2026. The number of common shares outstanding as of February 6, 2026 was approximately 190.4 million.Share Repurchases
The Company did not repurchase any shares in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Company has not repurchased any shares in the first quarter of 2026 as of the date of this release. As of February 13, approximately $35.0 million remained available under the Company's existing share repurchase authorization that expires in February 2027. 2026 Outlook
During 2026 the Company Expects:Global systemwide sales growthApproximately Flat
Adjusted EBITDA$460 to $480 million
Adjusted earnings per share$0.56 to $0.60
Capital expenditures and franchise development fund investments$120 to $130 million
Free cash flow$190 to $205 million
As previously disclosed, the Company modified its definition of free cash flow to reflect expenditures related to its franchise development fund beginning with its first quarter 2025 results.Conference Call and Webcast Scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Today, February 13
The Company will host a conference call on Friday, February 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET, with a simultaneous webcast from the Company's Investor Relations website at www.irwendys.com. The related presentation materials are now available on the Company's Investor Relations website. The live conference call will be available by telephone at (844) 200-6205 for domestic callers and (929) 526-1599 for international callers, both using event ID 383100. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website.About Wendy's
The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) and Wendy's® franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide. Founded in 1969, Wendy's is committed to the promise of Fresh Famous Food, Made Right, For You, delivered to customers through its craveable menu including made-to-order square hamburgers using fresh beef*, and fan favorites like the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and nuggets, Baconator®, and the Frosty® dessert. Wendy's supports the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®, established by its founder, which seeks to dramatically increase the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America's foster care system. Learn more about Wendy's at www.wendys.com. For details on franchising, visit www.wendys.com/franchising. Connect with Wendy's on X, Instagram and Facebook.*Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska, as well as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the UK, and other select international markets.Investor Contact:
Aaron Broholm
Head of Investor Relations
(614) 764-3345; aaron.broholm@wendys.comMedia Contact:
Heidi Schauer
Vice President – Communications, Public Affairs & Customer Care
(614) 764-3368; heidi.schauer@wendys.comForward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain statements that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). Generally, forward-looking statements include the words "may," "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimate," "goal," "upcoming," "outlook," "guidance" or the negation thereof, or similar expressions. In addition, all statements that address future operating, financial or business performance, strategies or initiatives, future efficiencies or savings, anticipated costs or charges, future capitalization, anticipated impacts of recent or pending investments or transactions and statements expressing general views about future results or brand health are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Reform Act. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's expectations at the time such statements are made, speak only as of the dates they are made and are susceptible to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. For all such forward-looking statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. The Company's actual results, performance and achievements may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Company's forward-looking statements.Many important factors could affect the Company's future results and cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the Company's forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the impact of competition or poor customer experiences at Wendy's restaurants; (2) adverse economic conditions or volatility or disruptions, including in regions with a high concentration of Wendy's restaurants; (3) changes in discretionary consumer spending and consumer tastes and preferences; (4) conditions beyond the Company's control, such as adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, hostilities, social unrest, health epidemics or pandemics or other catastrophic events; (5) impacts to the Company's corporate reputation or the value and perception of the Company's brand; (6) the effectiveness of the Company's marketing and advertising programs and new product development; (7) the Company's ability to manage the impact of social or digital media; (8) the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property; (9) food safety events or health concerns involving the Company's products; (10) the Company's ability to successfully implement important strategic initiatives, including its Project Fresh plan, effectively managing or maintaining growth and market share across its dayparts or executing strategic transactions; (11) the Company's ability to grow its business through new restaurant development; (12) the Company's ability to effectively manage the acquisition and disposition of restaurants and other restaurant activity; (13) risks associated with leasing and owning significant amounts of real estate, including environmental matters; (14) risks associated with the Company's international operations, including the ability to execute its international growth strategy; (15) changes in commodity and other operating costs; (16) shortages or interruptions in the supply or distribution of the Company's products and other risks associated with the Company's independent supply chain purchasing co-op; (17) the impact of increased labor costs or labor shortages; (18) the continued succession and retention of key personnel and the effectiveness of the Company's leadership and organizational structure; (19) risks associated with the Company's digital commerce strategy, platforms and technologies, including its ability to adapt to changes in industry trends and consumer preferences; (20) the Company's and its franchisees' dependence on computer systems and information technology, including risks associated with the failure or interruption of its systems or technology or the occurrence of cybersecurity incidents or deficiencies; (21) risks associated with the Company's securitized financing facility and other debt agreements, including compliance with operational and financial covenants, restrictions on its ability to raise additional capital, the impact of its overall debt levels and the Company's ability to generate sufficient cash flow to meet its debt service obligations and operate its business; (22) risks associated with the Company's capital allocation policy, including the amount and timing of equity and debt repurchases and dividend payments; (23) risks associated with complaints and litigation, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and a focus on corporate responsibility issues; (24) risks associated with the availability and cost of insurance, the recognition of impairment or other charges, changes in tax rates or tax laws and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; (25) risks associated with the Company's predominantly franchised business model; and (26) other risks and uncertainties cited in the Company's releases, public statements and/or filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those identified in the "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's Forms 10-K and 10-Q.All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to above. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and factors that the Company currently deems immaterial may become material, and it is impossible for the Company to predict these events or how they may affect the Company.The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this release as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by federal securities laws, although the Company may do so from time to time. The Company does not endorse any projections regarding future performance that may be made by third parties.Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to the financial measures presented in this release in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), the Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release, including adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow.The Company uses adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per share as internal measures of business operating performance and as performance measures for benchmarking against the Company's peers and competitors. Adjusted EBITDA is also used by the Company in establishing performance goals for purposes of executive compensation. The Company believes its presentation of adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per share provides a meaningful perspective of the underlying operating performance of our current business and enables investors to better understand and evaluate our historical and prospective operating performance. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are important supplemental measures of operating performance because they eliminate items that vary from period to period without correlation to our core operating performance and highlight trends in our business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP financial measures. Due to the nature and/or size of the items being excluded, such items do not reflect future gains, losses, expenses or benefits and are not indicative of our future operating performance. The Company believes investors, analysts and other interested parties use adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted earnings per share in evaluating issuers, and the presentation of these measures facilitates a comparative assessment of the Company's operating performance in addition to the Company's performance based on GAAP results.This release also includes disclosure regarding the Company's free cash flow. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that is used by the Company as an internal measure of liquidity. Free cash flow is also used by the Company in establishing performance goals for purposes of executive compensation. The Company defines free cash flow as cash flows from operations minus (i) capital expenditures, (ii) expenditures related to the Company's franchise development fund and (iii) the net change in the restricted operating assets and liabilities of the advertising funds and any excess/deficit of advertising funds revenue over advertising funds expense included in net income, as reported under GAAP. The impact of our advertising funds is excluded because the funds are used solely for advertising and are not available for the Company's working capital needs. The Company may also make additional adjustments for certain non-recurring or unusual items to the extent identified in the reconciliation tables that accompany this release. The Company believes free cash flow is an important liquidity measure for investors and other interested persons because it communicates how much cash flow is available for working capital needs or to be used for repurchasing shares, paying dividends, repaying or refinancing debt, financing possible acquisitions or investments or other uses of cash.Adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow are not recognized terms under GAAP, and the Company's presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures does not replace the presentation of the Company's financial results in accordance with GAAP. Because all companies do not calculate adjusted revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow (and similarly titled financial measures) in the same way, those measures as used by other companies may not be consistent with the way the Company calculates such measures. The non-GAAP financial measures included in this release should not be construed as substitutes for or better indicators of the Company's performance than the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. See the reconciliation tables that accompany this release for additional information regarding certain of the non-GAAP financial measures included herein.In addition, this release includes forward-looking projections for certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow. The Company excludes certain expenses and benefits from adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow, such as the impact from our advertising funds, including the net change in the restricted operating assets and liabilities and any excess or deficit of advertising fund revenues over advertising fund expenses, impairment of long-lived assets, reorganization and realignment costs, system optimization gains, net, amortization of cloud computing arrangements, gain on early extinguishment of debt, net, and the timing and resolution of certain tax matters. Due to the uncertainty and variability of the nature and amount of those expenses and benefits, the Company is unable without unreasonable effort to provide projections of net income, earnings per share or net cash provided by operating activities, or a reconciliation of those projected measures.Key Business Measures
The Company tracks its results of operations and manages its business using certain key business measures, including same-restaurant sales, systemwide sales and Company-operated restaurant margin, which are measures commonly used in the quick-service restaurant industry that are important to understanding Company performance.Same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales each include sales by both Company-operated and franchise restaurants. The Company reports same-restaurant sales for new restaurants after they have been open for 15 continuous months and for reimaged restaurants as soon as they reopen. Restaurants temporarily closed for more than one fiscal week are excluded from same-restaurant sales.Franchise restaurant sales are reported by our franchisees and represent their revenues from sales at franchised Wendy's restaurants. Sales by franchise restaurants are not recorded as Company revenues and are not included in the Company's consolidated financial statements. However, the Company's royalty revenues are computed as percentages of sales made by Wendy's franchisees and, as a result, sales by franchisees have a direct effect on the Company's royalty revenues and profitability.Same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales exclude sales from Argentina due to the highly inflationary economy of that country.The Company calculates same-restaurant sales and systemwide sales growth on a constant currency basis. Constant currency results exclude the impact of foreign currency translation and are derived by translating current year results at prior year average exchange rates. The Company believes excluding the impact of foreign currency translation provides better year over year comparability.U.S. Company-operated restaurant margin is defined as sales from U.S. Company-operated restaurants less cost of sales divided by sales from U.S. Company-operated restaurants. Cost of sales includes food and paper, restaurant labor and occupancy, advertising and other operating costs. Cost of sales excludes certain costs that support restaurant operations that are not allocated to individual restaurants, which are included in "General and administrative." Cost of sales also excludes depreciation and amortization expense and impairment of long-lived assets. Therefore, as restaurant margin as presented excludes certain costs as described above, its usefulness may be limited and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies in our industry.The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesConsolidated Statements of OperationsThree and Twelve Month Periods Ended December 29, 2024 and December 28, 2025(In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
Twelve Months Ended
2024
2025
2024
2025Revenues:
Sales$ 232,824
$ 230,808
$ 925,905
$ 916,325Franchise royalty revenue133,789
122,827
528,388
504,547Franchise fees34,175
26,446
97,614
98,184Franchise rental income58,555
59,546
236,493
235,750Advertising funds revenue114,930
103,347
458,092
422,085
574,273
542,974
2,246,492
2,176,891Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales195,574
202,775
783,211
791,724Franchise support and other costs20,677
29,791
67,688
80,975Franchise rental expense31,041
31,501
127,446
125,773Advertising funds expense120,213
101,969
478,136
422,552General and administrative67,161
67,081
255,208
252,679Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of amortization
of cloud computing arrangements shown separately below)33,228
40,290
143,234
152,222Amortization of cloud computing arrangements4,064
5,198
14,701
18,647System optimization gains, net(646)
(704)
(1,219)
(1,030)Reorganization and realignment costs49
77
8,528
(125)Impairment of long-lived assets6,840
6,731
9,713
12,095Other operating loss (income), net51
(5,752)
(11,513)
(22,073)
478,252
478,957
1,875,133
1,833,439Operating profit96,021
64,017
371,359
343,452Interest expense, net(31,081)
(32,502)
(123,881)
(126,467)Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net—
(642)
—
(642)Investment income (loss), net—
—
11
(1,718)Other income, net5,542
2,320
24,924
12,621Income before income taxes70,482
33,193
272,413
227,246Provision for income taxes(22,985)
(6,712)
(78,056)
(62,171)Net income$ 47,497
$ 26,481
$ 194,357
$ 165,075
Basic and diluted net income per share$ .23
$ .14
$ .95
$ .85
Number of shares used to calculate basic income per share203,848
190,236
204,351
193,406
Number of shares used to calculate diluted income per share205,045
190,544
205,614
194,032 The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesConsolidated Balance SheetsAs of December 29, 2024 and December 28, 2025(In Thousands Except Par Value)(Unaudited)
December 29,
2024
December 28,
2025ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents$ 450,512
$ 300,833Restricted cash34,481
39,207Accounts and notes receivable, net99,926
117,333Inventories6,529
7,387Prepaid expenses and other current assets45,563
55,412Advertising funds restricted assets99,129
97,867Total current assets736,140
618,039Properties907,787
937,795Finance lease assets244,954
312,844Operating lease assets679,777
642,589Goodwill771,468
774,088Other intangible assets1,192,264
1,170,671Investments29,006
25,227Net investment in sales-type and direct financing leases288,048
284,891Other assets185,399
190,417Total assets$ 5,034,843
$ 4,956,561
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt$ 78,163
$ 29,750Current portion of finance lease liabilities22,509
26,673Current portion of operating lease liabilities50,068
51,119Accounts payable28,455
30,450Accrued expenses and other current liabilities118,224
116,655Advertising funds restricted liabilities100,212
96,454Total current liabilities397,631
351,101Long-term debt2,662,130
2,730,502Long-term finance lease liabilities575,363
646,715Long-term operating lease liabilities704,333
660,257Deferred income taxes263,420
287,753Deferred franchise fees88,387
87,956Other liabilities84,227
74,894Total liabilities4,775,491
4,839,178Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.10 par value; 1,500,000 shares authorized; 470,424 shares issued; 203,834 and 190,324 shares outstanding, respectively47,042
47,042Additional paid-in capital2,982,102
2,986,150Retained earnings399,700
435,124Common stock held in treasury, at cost; 266,590 and 280,100 shares, respectively(3,094,739)
(3,286,965)Accumulated other comprehensive loss(74,753)
(63,968)Total stockholders' equity259,352
117,383Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$ 5,034,843
$ 4,956,561 The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesConsolidated Statements of Cash FlowsTwelve Month Periods Ended December 29, 2024 and December 28, 2025(In Thousands)(Unaudited)
Twelve Months Ended
2024
2025Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income$ 194,357
$ 165,075Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of amortization ofcloud computing arrangements shown separately below)143,234
152,222Amortization of cloud computing arrangements14,701
18,647Share-based compensation23,019
14,573Impairment of long-lived assets9,713
12,095Deferred income tax(5,529)
23,461Non-cash rental expense, net41,904
45,454Change in operating lease liabilities(48,911)
(49,230)Net (recognition) receipt of deferred vendor incentives(586)
1,534System optimization gains, net(1,219)
(1,030)Distributions received from joint ventures, net of equity in earnings14,408
14,779Equity in earnings in joint ventures, net(11,607)
(11,215)Long-term debt-related activities, net7,479
8,123Cloud computing arrangements expenditures(18,815)
(23,483)Other, net14,542
25,093Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable(5,158)
(19,174)Inventories138
(473)Prepaid expenses and other current assets(1,795)
(1,345)Advertising funds restricted assets and liabilities(20,733)
(4,007)Accounts payable1,026
(8,927)Accrued expenses and other current liabilities5,139
(17,629)Net cash provided by operating activities355,307
344,543Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures(94,388)
(101,927)Franchise development fund(41,246)
(38,410)Acquisitions—
(16,854)Dispositions4,946
4,410Notes receivable, net1,383
1,949Net cash used in investing activities(129,305)
(150,832)Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt—
475,500Repayments of long-term debt(29,250)
(453,993)Repayments of finance lease liabilities(20,404)
(24,546)Deferred financing costs—
(9,671)Repurchases of common stock(77,375)
(200,766)Dividends(204,443)
(129,587)Proceeds from stock option exercises32,859
1,916Payments related to tax withholding for share-based compensation(4,485)
(2,839)Net cash used in financing activities(303,098)
(343,986)Net cash used in operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash(77,096)
(150,275)Effect of exchange rate changes on cash(8,112)
4,339Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash(85,208)
(145,936)Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period588,816
503,608Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period$ 503,608
$ 357,672 The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesReconciliations of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA and Revenues to Adjusted RevenuesThree and Twelve Month Periods Ended December 29, 2024 and December 28, 2025(In Thousands)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
Twelve Months Ended
2024
2025
2024
2025
Net income$ 47,497
$ 26,481
$ 194,357
$ 165,075Provision for income taxes22,985
6,712
78,056
62,171Income before income taxes70,482
33,193
272,413
227,246Other income, net(5,542)
(2,320)
(24,924)
(12,621)Investment (income) loss, net—
—
(11)
1,718Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net—
642
—
642Interest expense, net31,081
32,502
123,881
126,467Operating profit96,021
64,017
371,359
343,452Plus (less):
Advertising funds revenue(114,930)
(103,347)
(458,092)
(422,085)Advertising funds expense (a)112,880
100,988
455,390
419,269Depreciation and amortization (exclusive of amortization of cloud
computing arrangements shown separately below)33,228
40,290
143,234
152,222Amortization of cloud computing arrangements4,064
5,198
14,701
18,647System optimization gains, net(646)
(704)
(1,219)
(1,030)Reorganization and realignment costs49
77
8,528
(125)Impairment of long-lived assets6,840
6,731
9,713
12,095Adjusted EBITDA$ 137,506
$ 113,250
$ 543,614
$ 522,445
Revenues$ 574,273
$ 542,974
$ 2,246,492
$ 2,176,891Less:
Advertising funds revenue(114,930)
(103,347)
(458,092)
(422,085)Adjusted revenues$ 459,343
$ 439,627
$ 1,788,400
$ 1,754,806
(a)Excludes advertising funds expense of $7,146 and $21,919 for the three and twelve months ended December 29, 2024, respectively, and $180 and $713 for the three and twelve months ended December 28, 2025, respectively, related to the Company's funding of incremental advertising. In addition, excludes other international-related advertising deficit of $187 and $827 for the three and twelve months ended December 29, 2024, respectively, and $801 and $2,570 for the three and twelve months ended December 28, 2025, respectively. The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesReconciliation of Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share toAdjusted Income and Adjusted Earnings Per ShareThree and Twelve Month Periods Ended December 29, 2024 and December 28, 2025(In Thousands Except Per Share Amounts)(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
Twelve Months Ended
2024
2025
2024
2025
Net income$ 47,497
$ 26,481
$ 194,357
$ 165,075Plus (less):
Advertising funds revenue(114,930)
(103,347)
(458,092)
(422,085)Advertising funds expense (a)112,880
100,988
455,390
419,269System optimization gains, net(646)
(704)
(1,219)
(1,030)Reorganization and realignment costs49
77
8,528
(125)Impairment of long-lived assets6,840
6,731
9,713
12,095Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net—
642
—
642Total adjustments4,193
4,387
14,320
8,766Income tax impact on adjustments (b)(1,176)
(1,280)
(3,429)
(2,488)Total adjustments, net of income taxes3,017
3,107
10,891
6,278Adjusted income$ 50,514
$ 29,588
$ 205,248
$ 171,353
Diluted earnings per share$ .23
$ .14
$ .95
$ .85Total adjustments per share, net of income taxes.02
.02
.05
.03Adjusted earnings per share$ .25
$ .16
$ 1.00
$ .88
(a)Excludes advertising funds expense of $7,146 and $21,919 for the three and twelve months ended December 29, 2024, respectively, and $180 and $713 for the three and twelve months ended December 28, 2025, respectively, related to the Company's funding of incremental advertising. In addition, excludes other international-related advertising deficit of $187 and $827 for the three and twelve months ended December 29, 2024, respectively, and $801 and $2,570 for the three and twelve months ended December 28, 2025, respectively.
(b)Adjustments relate to the tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments, which were determined based on the nature of the underlying non-GAAP adjustments and their relevant jurisdictional tax rates. The Wendy's Company and SubsidiariesReconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash FlowTwelve Month Periods Ended December 29, 2024 and December 28, 2025(In Thousands)(Unaudited)
Twelve Months Ended
2024
2025Net cash provided by operating activities$ 355,307
$ 344,543Plus (less):
Capital expenditures(94,388)
(101,927)Franchise development fund(41,246)
(38,410)Advertising funds impact (a)18,031
1,191Free cash flow$ 237,704
$ 205,397
(a)Advertising funds impact for 2024 and 2025 includes the net change in the restricted operating assets and liabilities of the funds of $(20,733) and $(4,007), respectively, and the advertising funds surplus included in Net Income of $2,702 and $2,816, respectively. Advertising funds impact for 2024 and 2025 excludes the Company's funding of incremental advertising of $21,919 and $713, respectively.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-wendys-company-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results-and-provides-2026-outlook-302687013.htmlSOURCE The Wendy’s Company
Original: THE WENDY'S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOK