Wendy's (WEN) Reports Q3 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

Wendy's (WEN) reported $549.52 million in revenue for the quarter ended September 2025, representing a year-over-year decline of 3%. EPS of $0.24 for the same period compares to $0.25 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $536.82 million, representing a surprise of +2.37%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +20%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.20.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.Here is how Wendy's performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Number of restaurants - Total: 7,363 versus the seven-analyst average estimate of 7,368.Same-Restaurant - U.S.: -4.7% versus -5.3% estimated by seven analysts on average.Number of restaurants - Company-operated - Total: 435 versus the six-analyst average estimate of 403.Same-Restaurant - International: 3% versus 2.4% estimated by six analysts on average.Revenues- Sales at Company-operated restaurants: $233.15 million versus $219.83 million estimated by seven analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1.2% change.Revenues- Advertising funds: $107.01 million versus the seven-analyst average estimate of $110.73 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -13.1%.Revenues- Franchise rental income: $57.34 million versus the six-analyst average estimate of $58.24 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -3.3%.Revenues- Franchise royalty revenue and fees: $152.01 million versus $148.43 million estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -1.2% change.Revenues- Franchise fees: $24.2 million versus $21.57 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +13.8% change.Revenues- Franchise royalty: $127.81 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $127.05 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -3.6%.Systemwide sales- Total: $3.54 billion versus $3.49 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.7% change.Systemwide sales- International systemwide: $534 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $540.33 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +7.8%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Wendy's here>>>Shares of Wendy's have remained unchanged over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.

Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"

Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

The Wendy's Company (WEN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.