The Wendy's Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a quick-service restaurant company in the United States and internationally. It operates through Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International, and Global Real Estate & Development segments. The company is involved in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants specializing in hamburger sandwiches. It owns and leases real estate properties. The company was formerly known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. and changed its name to The Wendy's Company in July 2011. The Wendy's Company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.

Компания Wendy's демонстрирует смешанную картину по фундаментальным метрикам. С одной стороны, P/E и P/FCF значительно ниже медианы отрасли, что указывает на потенциальную недооцененность. Однако, высокая долговая нагрузка (debt_equity_ratio) и снижение показателей EPS по сравнению с медианой указывают на возможные риски. Несмотря на это, компания демонстрирует хорошие показатели по марже прибыли и рентабельности, что снижает беспокойство по поводу её способности генерировать прибыль. Выручка и чистая прибыль показывают рост, что является положительным знаком, однако общая долговая нагрузка и негативная динамика некоторых мультипликаторов могут ограничить потенциал роста акций. В целом, Wendy's выглядит как компания с некоторыми сильными сторонами, но и с серьезными вызовами, которые стоит учитывать при оценке её инвестиционной привлекательности.

Wendy's Company (The)

Key Points
Blackstone, which bought a majority of Jersey Mike's last year, has been pointing at an IPO.
CEO Charlie Morrison brought big profits to shareholders when he took Wingstop public.
There may soon be a new entry in the list of restaurant stocks. Sandwich chain Jersey Mike's disclosed this week that it confidentially filed for an initial public offering, the first step toward going public.
The company, which traces its roots to a modest sandwich shop on the Jersey Shore, is a significant player in a crowded field of submarine sandwich restaurants, which includes Subway, Jimmy John's, Firehouse Subs, and Potbelly. Jersey Mike's has more than 3,000 locations, making it the second-largest submarine sandwich chain in the U.S. behind Subway.
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A confidential IPO means that the company's S-1 and related documentation were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but haven't been made public yet. That gives Jersey Mike's an opportunity to discuss the filing privately with regulators before it goes public, and make changes as needed before the shares are listed for public trading. And it also allows Jersey Mike's to back out of the deal should market conditions deteriorate.
However, Jersey Mike's has clearly been working toward this moment for a while. Blackstone purchased a majority of the company last year in a deal valuing Jersey Mike's at about $8 billion. And Blackstone brought in former Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison to run the company. Morrison was with Wingstop when that restaurant chain went public in 2015. Wingstop's performance over the last decade has been phenomenal, with a 700% return that soundly beats both the S&P 500 and major fast-food chains like McDonald's and Wendy's.
Can Morrison bring that same magic to a Jersey Mike's IPO? That's the question that investors need to solve.
A look at Jersey Mike's before its IPO
Jersey Mike's has been a solid business with a great backstory. Founder Peter Cancro started working at a Point Pleasant, New Jersey, sandwich shop called Mike's Subs as a teenager in the 1970s. He bought the restaurant in 1975, when he was just 17, and eventually changed the name and sold franchises.
The chain reported revenue of $309.8 million in 2025, up 10.6% from a year ago. But net income was $183.6 million, down 23.1% from 2024. By way of comparison, Firehouse Subs, a segment of Restaurant Brands International (NYSE: QSR), reported sales growth of 8.6% to $232 million in 2025, but comparable sales growth was only 1.1% because the company increased its restaurant count from 1,345 to 1,449. Operating income rose from $48 million to $56 million.
As Jersey Mike's goes public and more financial records are released, investors should be looking closely at comparable sales -- it's easy to increase revenues when you are rapidly opening stores. True profits from restaurant stocks come from the company's ability to increase same-store sales, because the higher costs of opening new locations don't offset those gains.
Is Jersey Mike's a good investment?
Restaurant and fast food stocks can be very challenging. Customers are more aware than ever of spiraling food costs, which forces restaurants to heavily discount and create new promotions to attract customers. And when the economy is a little shaky, amid fears of inflation and global conflict that roil the market, customers are more hesitant to spend on discretionary items like dining out. In the last year, the S&P 500 restaurant sector has been flat, while the broader index is up more than 38%.
So, an investment in Jersey Mike's IPO falls more on a bet on its CEO. Can Morrison, who led Wingstop to greater heights and a successful IPO a decade ago, find that magic again in a crowded sandwich field?
The S-1 filing, when it comes out, will have some of those answers. But even after Jersey Mike's completes its IPO, I'm holding off on this company until I see a consistent strategy for increasing same-store sales and generating profits, in addition to rising revenue.
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Patrick Sanders has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Restaurant Brands International and Wingstop and recommends the following options: long January 2028 $320 calls on McDonald's and short January 2028 $340 calls on McDonald's. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Sandwich Chain Jersey Mike's Just Quietly Filed for an IPO. Here's What Investors Need to Know.

Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in Wendy's Co (Symbol: WEN), where a total volume of 52,233 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 5.2 million underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 73.3% of WEN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 7.1 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $6.50 strike put option expiring May 08, 2026, with 22,010 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 2.2 million underlying shares of WEN. Below is a chart showing WEN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $6.50 strike highlighted in orange:
Lowe's Companies Inc (Symbol: LOW) saw options trading volume of 18,554 contracts, representing approximately 1.9 million underlying shares or approximately 72.2% of LOW's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 2.6 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $265 strike call option expiring April 24, 2026, with 3,752 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 375,200 underlying shares of LOW. Below is a chart showing LOW's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $265 strike highlighted in orange:
And Unum Group (Symbol: UNM) options are showing a volume of 8,092 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 809,200 underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 72% of UNM's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 1.1 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $85 strike call option expiring July 17, 2026, with 4,143 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 414,300 underlying shares of UNM. Below is a chart showing UNM's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $85 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for WEN options, LOW options, or UNM options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Noteworthy Tuesday Option Activity: WEN, LOW, UNM

Kura Sushi (KRUS) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.04 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.1. This compares to a loss of $0.14 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +57.90%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.17 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.23, delivering a surprise of -35.29%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Kura Sushi, which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry, posted revenues of $80.02 million for the quarter ended February 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.67%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $64.89 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Kura Sushi shares have added about 38.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's decline of 3.4%.
What's Next for Kura Sushi?
While Kura Sushi has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Kura Sushi was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.07 on $86.16 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$0.07 on $331.3 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Retail - Restaurants is currently in the bottom 22% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Wendy's (WEN), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026.
This hamburger chain is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.11 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -45%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 10.6% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.
Wendy's' revenues are expected to be $529.33 million, up 1.1% from the year-ago quarter.
Should You Invest in Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (KRUS)?
Before you invest in Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (KRUS), want to know the best stocks to buy for the next 30 days? Check out Zacks Investment Research for our free report on the 7 best stocks to buy.
Zacks Investment Research has been committed to providing investors with tools and independent research since 1978. For more than a quarter century, the Zacks Rank stock-rating system has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +24.08% per year. (These returns cover a period from January 1, 1988 through May 6, 2024.)
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Kura Sushi (KRUS) Reports Q2 Loss, Beats Revenue Estimates

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. CMG continues to demonstrate consistency in its unit-level economics, even as management guided to approximately flat comparable sales in 2026 and reported a 2.5% decline in fourth-quarter comps. The company is maintaining its development cadence, supported by stable return metrics and new unit performance.
In 2025, Chipotle opened 334 company-owned restaurants and plans to increase this to around 350 units in 2026, sustaining a build rate of nearly one restaurant per day. Management indicated that new restaurants are generating returns in the ~60% range, supporting continued expansion at current levels.
New unit productivity remains aligned with the broader system. Management noted that new restaurants are achieving approximately 80% or better of system-wide average volumes, indicating that recently opened locations are performing in line with existing units. In addition, the company is not observing elevated cannibalization or deterioration in unit-level returns, supporting ongoing development.
Chipotle also reaffirmed its long-term operating framework, including average unit volumes of approximately $4 million and restaurant-level margins approaching 30%, despite near-term margin pressure from pricing trailing inflation. Taken together, the continuation of new unit openings alongside stable return metrics and consistent unit performance indicates that expansion remains supported by underlying unit economics despite flat comparable sales.
How Are Chipotle’s Competitors Faring?
CAVA Group, Inc. CAVA continues to report strong unit-level performance, supported by robust new restaurant productivity and improving scale economics. Management indicated that its new restaurant openings in 2025 delivered productivity above 100%, while new restaurant AUVs trended above $3 million, reflecting strong demand at newly opened locations. The company also highlighted that its unit economic model remains structurally strong, with restaurant-level profit margins at 21.4% in the fourth quarter and expected to expand between 23.7% and 24.2% in 2026. While CAVA is still in an earlier stage of scaling relative to Chipotle, the combination of above 100% new unit productivity and rising AUVs indicates strong unit-level performance as it expands its footprint.
In contrast, The Wendy’s Company WEN is placing greater emphasis on improving franchisee economics and AUV growth as part of its turnaround strategy. Management noted that capital allocation is being redirected toward driving profitable AUV growth in the United States, while system optimization initiatives include closing underperforming restaurants to improve overall unit economics. At the same time, Wendy’s reported declines in U.S. same-restaurant sales, reflecting weaker traffic trends, while company-operated restaurant margins were approximately 12.7% in the fourth quarter. The company is also adjusting its development approach, including reducing build-to-suit investments and prioritizing returns on existing assets.
Taken together, CAVA is demonstrating strong new unit productivity and AUV growth as it scales, while Wendy’s is focused on improving existing unit performance and franchisee economics. In comparison, Chipotle’s combination of high returns on new units, stable productivity benchmarks and established AUV targets positions its unit economics within a more mature and scaled operating framework.
CMG’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Chipotle have declined 28.9% in the past year against the industry’s 0.9% rise.
CMG One-Year Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Chipotle trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 3.25, below the industry’s average of 3.41.
CMG’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CMG’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) implies a year-over-year decline of 2.6%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have remained unchanged in the past 30 days.
EPS Trend of CMG Stock
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CMG’s Zacks Rank
Chipotle stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

CMG's Unit Economics Hold Despite Flat Comps: Is Growth De-Risked?

Among the underlying components of the Russell 3000 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in Calavo Growers, Inc. (Symbol: CVGW), where a total of 3,179 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 317,900 underlying shares. That amounts to about 144.2% of CVGW's average daily trading volume over the past month of 220,390 shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $20 strike put option expiring April 17, 2026, with 3,179 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 317,900 underlying shares of CVGW. Below is a chart showing CVGW's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $20 strike highlighted in orange:
Alphabet Inc (Symbol: GOOGL) saw options trading volume of 285,809 contracts, representing approximately 28.6 million underlying shares or approximately 97% of GOOGL's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 29.5 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $340 strike call option expiring June 18, 2026, with 36,344 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 3.6 million underlying shares of GOOGL. Below is a chart showing GOOGL's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $340 strike highlighted in orange:
And Wendy's Co (Symbol: WEN) saw options trading volume of 79,585 contracts, representing approximately 8.0 million underlying shares or approximately 93.2% of WEN's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 8.5 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $6 strike put option expiring May 15, 2026, with 75,286 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 7.5 million underlying shares of WEN. Below is a chart showing WEN's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $6 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for CVGW options, GOOGL options, or WEN options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
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Precious Metals Dividend Stocks
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Notable Monday Option Activity: CVGW, GOOGL, WEN

Key Points
Nearly a third of American adults consume fast food on a given day.
According to Brand Keys' proprietary Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, one quick-serve restaurant chain has risen above the pack in a highly competitive industry.
Value and familiarity are powering America's favorite fast food restaurant chain.
In a typical day, 32% of American adults consume fast food, according to a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Perhaps it's no surprise that quick-serve restaurants are a big-dollar industry.
Although the fast-food industry is highly competitive, companies that can stand out through innovation, a compelling value proposition, and out-of-the-box thinking can reap the rewards of this high-ceiling addressable market. Arranging the pieces of this puzzle is how McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), Wendy's, Burger King, which is owned by Restaurant Brands International, and Subway have thrived.
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For roughly three decades, Brand Keys has been evaluating brand-name businesses across dozens of categories with its proprietary Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI). Brands that meet or exceed the expectations of the CLEI and keep their customers engaged tend to outperform over the coming 12 to 18 months.
In 2026, Brand Keys examined customers' relationships with over 1,100 brands in 106 categories, including quick-serve restaurants -- and one brand rose to the occasion.
America's favorite fast-food restaurant isn't clowning around
While all of the big-name, quick-serve restaurants offer some degree of distinction and have attempted to reinvent themselves from time to time, it's the golden arches of McDonald's, not Wendy's, Burger King, or Subway, that took the 2026 CLEI crown as the fast-food chain American consumers are most loyal to and engaged with.
Arguably, the biggest differentiating factor for McDonald's has been its embrace of technology. In particular, the company has countered rising labor costs and increasing fast-food competition with mobile and in-store ordering kiosks. McDonald's app orders use geofencing to prep food at appropriate times, while self-serve kiosks are reducing order errors and promoting potentially higher-margin customizations. The end result is a happier customer and higher profits for McDonald's.
McDonald's has also thrived since introducing its "Commit to the Core" strategy in November 2020. Instead of getting too fancy with its menu, management realized the importance and familiarity of its core products, including Big Mac, its chicken McNuggets, and coffee. Commit to the Core has focused on operational efficiency to reduce wait times and leveraged cost-saving opportunities elsewhere to promote the value of these core products.
Additionally, McDonald's has stayed within its wheelhouse by constantly tweaking its value menu to appeal to cost-conscious consumers. Starting next month, it'll be launching new items on its McValue menu, including $3 (or less) items and a $4 breakfast meal deal, featuring a McMuffin sandwich, hash brown, and coffee. With inflation remaining above the Federal Reserve's long-term target of 2%, McDonald's cost-conscious meal pricing can help it attract new customers and retain existing ones.
🍟 The largest U.S. fast-food chains by number of locations worldwide
1.🇺🇸 McDonald's -- 43,121 locations 🍔
2.🇺🇸 Starbucks -- 40,199 locations ☕
3.🇺🇸 Subway -- 36,429 locations 🥪
4.🇺🇸 KFC -- 29,585 locations 🍗
5.🇺🇸 Domino's -- 21,500 locations 🍕
6.🇺🇸 Pizza Hut -- 19,858 locations... pic.twitter.com/YCDNkaRqp7
-- Cata Paul 🃏‍‍‍ (@CataPaul2) January 22, 2026
Lastly, brand awareness certainly helps to keep McDonald's golden arches atop the pedestal among quick-serve restaurants. With the exception of Subway and Starbucks, McDonald's has the largest geographic footprint of any fast-serve restaurant chain in the U.S. However, it's the biggest chain globally.
If McDonald's continues to emphasize value and its core products and sticks to its digital transformation, it shouldn't have any trouble delivering for its customers and shareholders.
Should you buy stock in McDonald's right now?
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Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends Restaurant Brands International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Surprise! America Has Chosen Its Favorite Fast-Food Restaurant -- and It's Not Wendy's or Burger King!

Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/2/26, Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (Symbol: GPI), Wendy's Co (Symbol: WEN), and Perdoceo Education Corp (Symbol: PRDO) will all trade ex-dividend for their respective upcoming dividends. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.55 on 3/16/26, Wendy's Co will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.14 on 3/16/26, and Perdoceo Education Corp will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.15 on 3/13/26. As a percentage of GPI's recent stock price of $335.30, this dividend works out to approximately 0.16%, so look for shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. to trade 0.16% lower — all else being equal — when GPI shares open for trading on 3/2/26. Similarly, investors should look for WEN to open 1.87% lower in price and for PRDO to open 0.45% lower, all else being equal.
Below are dividend history charts for GPI, WEN, and PRDO, showing historical dividends prior to the most recent ones declared.
Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (Symbol: GPI):
Wendy's Co (Symbol: WEN):
Perdoceo Education Corp (Symbol: PRDO):
In general, dividends are not always predictable, following the ups and downs of company profits over time. Therefore, a good first due diligence step in forming an expectation of annual yield going forward, is looking at the history above, for a sense of stability over time. This can help in judging whether the most recent dividends from these companies are likely to continue. If they do continue, the current estimated yields on annualized basis would be 0.66% for Group 1 Automotive, Inc., 7.48% for Wendy's Co, and 1.80% for Perdoceo Education Corp.
In Thursday trading, Group 1 Automotive, Inc. shares are currently up about 0.1%, Wendy's Co shares are down about 3.1%, and Perdoceo Education Corp shares are up about 2.5% on the day.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Ex-Dividend Reminder: Group 1 Automotive, Wendy's and Perdoceo Education

I hadn't seen my boy in years. He wasted no time laying into my career decisions.
"Why are you messing around with the finance stuff? The blogging? No future in it."
Well, good to see you too, buddy.
"You have real value in the software thing you're doing. Stick with that."
His advice was to leave Wall Street to him. He worked for a big-name firm. At the time of our run in, we were five or so years out of undergrad.
In true contrarian form, I ignored him. And it's a good thing! Here we are talking stocks together and the software startup he wanted me to focus 100% on? The thing never made much money. I sold my stake in 2018 and never looked back.
My point? Wall Street guys don't know the world outside of Manhattan.
But people listen to these Wall Street types like their word is scripture--and it's anything but. Because these guys don't have jobs that are down in the mainstream economy day to day. They don't actually know what's happening on the ground. They're getting their information secondhand, thirdhand. They're smart people, sure. They just don't have the info.
And that is why we use analyst sentiment as a contrarian indicator. Kind of like magazine covers--by the time the suits catch a trend, that trend might be about to turn. So we actually want to find stocks where analysts are disinterested, or outright negative, or just asleep at the wheel. Because that is where the value hides--especially when those hated stocks are paying fat dividends.
I have my eye on five of them right now, yielding 6.5% to 15.6%. But first, let me show you just how asleep at the wheel the pros really are. You and I both know how they get their access--it's with honey, not vinegar. So naturally, consensus ratings on most stocks tend to be overwhelmingly bullish.
But even I was surprised by how ridiculous it's gotten. Take a look at consensus analyst recommendations on the S&P 500's components:
Not One. Single. Sell.
Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence
Buys make up about 80% of the calls. The remaining 20%? Mere Holds. Not a single Sell among them!
Remember: These ratings generally pertain to the coming 12 months. That's an astonishingly optimistic view of every single S&P 500 component--especially with this many economic question marks floating around.
But if we venture outside of the S&P 500, we do find a few more bearish ratings. And those are much more meaningful to us. Because despite analysts' well-understood bent, investors are still willing to follow their lead. Sell calls have far more room for upgrades that can trigger buying, which can trigger more upgrades, and turn into a virtuous cycle of higher ratings and share prices.
Which is exactly why we contrarians should always keep an eye on the Sell bin: names like these 6.5% to 15.6% payers are packed with potential on sentiment alone.
Now, let's see if these names pass more than just the vibes test.
I'll start with HP Inc. (HPQ, 6.5% yield), the personal computing and printing technology company that only recently started pinging my high-yield radar. In theory, that could happen from a massive dividend hike, but more often than not? It's because shares have started tanking.
Looks Like the Latter
HP's product lineup is actually quite wide. Its Personal Systems division spans commercial and consumer desktops, notebooks and workstations--plus point-of-sale systems, displays, even endpoint security. Printing covers consumer and commercial printers, supplies, solutions, and 3D printing. And then there's Corporate Investments, a business incubation and investment division.
HPQ is cratering because those first two arms are being significantly impacted by what's being called a "memory crisis"--memory-chip producers simply can't keep up with the simultaneous demand from AI data centers and consumer electronics. This is driving up prices--DRAM pricing is expected to grow another 14% in 2026, while NAND pricing is set to explode by 140%--and forcing companies to re-price their offerings to salvage margins.
Combine all of that with a continued decline in print interest, plus the sudden early February exit of CEO Enrique Lores (who moved over to PayPal (PYPL)), and there's not much for us to like about HPQ right now. In fact, I'm surprised the consensus isn't worse. HPQ could be considered a "Bearish Hold" at this point; 8 pros call it a Hold, versus 4 Buys and 5 Sells.
HPQ, to its credit, has been dutifully raising its dividend every year for a decade now, including a 3%-plus hike to 30 cents per share near the end of 2025. And the payout still seems plenty safe at just 40% of current-year EPS estimates. But we could be looking at a falling knife as long as memory woes persist. If and when that changes, it might warrant another look from our corner.
Wendy's (WEN, 7.0% yield) is another "Bearish Hold" (4 Buys/20 Holds/5 Sells) in the midst of a complete stock collapse. The burger slinger's shares have been cut in half over the past year and lost 70% of their value since this point in 2023. That has sent our yield skyward!
And Wendy's Even Cut Its Dividend by 44% in 2025
And as if the chart needed more drama, shares have been whipping around on fresh headlines. WEN surged 14% on Wednesday after activist investor Trian Fund Management said it was exploring strategic options, including a potential takeover of the company. As of this writing, the stock is already in retreat from that move. This kind of volatility tells you traders are speculating on deal chatter--not betting on a fundamental turnaround just yet.
The fast-food industry's 2025 woes were well-reported, and they certainly weren't limited to Wendy's, the No. 2 U.S. hamburger quick-service restaurant in the nation. No. 1 McDonald's (MCD) and No. 3 Burger King--part of Restaurant Brands International (QSR)--also suffered slumping sales in 2025.
But while MCD and QSR managed to find their footing thanks to improved lineups and stronger promotions, Wendy's simply didn't. It recently reported an 11.3% drop in same-restaurant sales for the final quarter of 2025 and provided an EPS outlook that was well short of expectations (56-60 cents vs. 86 cents). The pros now see 2026 earnings tanking by around 33%-34%.
It's not for lack of a turnaround plan--Wendy's launched "Project Fresh" last year to stem the bleeding. But a look at the details shows a lot of back-end focus ("optimizing labor," "enhance brand relevance," "digital and equipment efficiency"). It'll close 5% to 6% of its 5,800-plus restaurants. It'll cut back on breakfast in some locations. But where's the plan that actually gets diners back through the door? I'm not seeing it.
Wendy's is also doing all this under an interim CEO; Kirk Tanner departed in July 2025 for Hershey's (HSY). Not exactly a vote of confidence.
That said: Wendy's turnaround isn't necessarily doomed for failure. Problem is, recent results hint toward a revival taking longer than expected. Plus, a new leader might very well want to tweak the plans based on his or her expertise.
But your yield is every bit as juicy as a Dave's Double, so if WEN can maintain the dividend at current levels, this could end up being a deep dividend value for our portfolios. Shares just need to stay on the grill a little longer for now.
Let's move on to a few more truly hated names--and a couple that we might actually want to keep our eye on.
American Assets Trust (AAT, 7.3% yield) is a modest real estate investment trust (REIT) at just 31 buildings across the Pacific Coast, Hawaii and Texas--but those buildings include 4.3 million square feet of office space, 2.4 million square feet of retail space, 2,302 multifamily units, and 369 hotel suites.
On its face, the 7%-plus yield on a REIT like AAT would be less alarming than it would be on a Wendy's or HP, just given the industry's income-friendly nature. But AAT is just like those two companies in that its currently high yield has much less to do with its (glacially) growing payout and much more to do with its sinking share price.
RTO Still Hasn't Revived AAT
No wonder "the Street" is sour on the name. AAT not only has zero Buy calls, but it also has a thin analyst following of just four names (2 Holds, 2 Sells). That small amount of coverage is telling, too--rather than place a Sell call on shares, it's common for analysts to simply bow out and not risk peeving management. (Can you blame them?)
The company is coming off a brutal 2025 that saw funds from operations (FFO) drop to $2.00 per share, from $2.58 in 2024. The good news? It's partly an effect of difficult year-over-year comparisons thanks to one-time leases. The bad news? It's also a reflection of an extremely weak West Coast office market that's not expected to get better anytime soon.
But it could get better eventually. Signs are showing a potential bottoming out in markets such as San Francisco and San Diego. There are other draws for our contrarian radar, too. AAT trades at about 9 times FFO estimates for 2026 and 2027. It yields 7%-plus thanks to sluggish shares. And that distribution is less than 70% of those FFO estimates--which, from that view, is pretty safe.
Problem is, those FFO estimates imply basically sideways to slightly down profitability over the next two years. Same-store growth was only about 1% in 2025, with little hope for improvement this year. And despite the seemingly low payout ratio, AAT pays out enough that it has little room to reduce its high leverage or develop new properties. Said another way: The dividend might be less certain than the payout ratio suggests if management wants to jump-start the business. We'll keep watching, but we're not jumping in yet.
Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN, 10.4% yield) is one of the largest "integrated" (or "hybrid") REITs in the U.S. Its full portfolio consists of 120 properties, but its "core" portfolio of roughly 60 properties is largely concentrated in Philadelphia and Austin--and is roughly 90% office in nature.
I looked at BDN back in September 2025. At the time, I said:
But let's keep a really close eye on the dividend. The payout was 107% of FFO through the first half of 2025, and full-year FFO are expected to just barely pay for the dividend. If Brandywine runs into liquidity issues, that 13%-plus yield could be a rug-pull just waiting to happen.
Literally that same week, BDN announced its second dividend reduction in three years. (I wish I'd been wrong on that one!)
Poor Office Trends Have Crippled Brandywine's Distribution
Again, office properties are having a miserable time of it. No wonder the pros have no love for Brandywine--three Holds, two Sells, and not a single Buy call.
But I want to focus on a few current and emerging positives that might make BDN more appealing for us down the road.
Brandywine still pays out 10% despite its significantly reduced dividend, and that dividend represents just 56% of consensus FFO estimates--a much healthier coverage ratio! The stock trades at just 5.4 times FFO estimates for 2026. And remember, I mentioned in September that "joint ventures have been Brandywine's Achilles' heel of late" because of how burdensome the development deals are on BDN. Well, BDN is working on simplifying its JV portfolio--for instance, it bought out its partner at 3151 Market St. (Philadelphia) during the most recent quarter. That's the kind of cleanup we want to see.
The REIT still has more headwinds than tailwinds, and the environment for its core property type is miserable. Asset sales and balance-sheet cleanup would go a long way toward building confidence in this down-on-its-luck property owner. One for our watch list.
Goldman Sachs BDC (GSBD, 15.6% yield), which is coming off its own 2025 dividend cut, is a business development company (BDC) that provides financing to companies with annual EBITDA of between $5 million and $75 million. Its 171-holding portfolio spans about a dozen industries, and it's concentrated in software (about 19% of the invested portfolio).
GSBD also has zero Buy calls to its name, with a sparse analyst following that breaks down to 4 Holds and 1 Sell. The lack of analyst participation is even more glaring given that GSBD is one of the largest BDCs and is tethered to mega-cap investment bank Goldman Sachs (GS). You'd think that brand name alone would attract more attention!
Why the hate? Goldman Sachs BDC has been underwhelming since its 2015 IPO. It has grossly underperformed since the COVID market rebound. And it slashed its core payout by 29% in 2025. (GSBD also pays supplemental dividends; 1.7 points of its 15.6% yield come from these extra distributions.)
But there are two reasons we should keep watching GSBD despite its historical stank: 1.) It's cheaply priced at just 72% of its net asset value (NAV)--that's a 28% discount to what it owns!--and 2.) it has been ditching its legacy portfolio and been much more aggressive making deals of late.
This 11% Dividend Is Overlooked, Too--But in Much Better Position
My favorite "hated" dividend right now is every bit as diversified as GSBD. But instead of a portfolio of small businesses (which we don't love in a shaky economy), it's a smartly built bond portfolio that's set to gain as rates fall.
But that's not the only reason we love it. This fund ...
Pays out 11% in annual income!
Has increased its dividend over time
Has paid out multiple special dividends
And pays its dividends each and every month!
That's a resume few income investors could resist ... and why would we?
This fund pays us $1,100 for every $10K we invest. All we need to do is sit back, relax, and let a skilled manager call the shots.
But premiums on funds like these tend to rise as volatility ticks higher and as investors rotate out of growth stocks and into reliable sources of income like this. I don't want you to miss your chance. Click here and I'll introduce you to this "ironclad" 11% payer and give you a free Special Report revealing its name and ticker.
Also see:
Warren Buffett Dividend Stocks
Dividend Growth Stocks: 25 Aristocrats
Future Dividend Aristocrats: Close Contenders
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Five Dividends Up to 15% the "Smart Money" Can't Stand

In trading on Wednesday, information technology services shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 4.4%. Leading the group were shares of Rackspace Technology, up about 238.9% and shares of Global-E Online up about 14.5% on the day.
Also showing relative strength are restaurants & eateries shares, up on the day by about 3.3% as a group, led by Sabre, trading higher by about 20.5% and Wendy's, trading higher by about 17.5% on Wednesday.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Wednesday Sector Leaders: Information Technology Services, Restaurants & Eateries

Key Points
Hedge-fund titan Nelson Peltz said his firm is looking for ways to boost Wendy's share price.
Peltz's firm, Trian Asset Management, made the disclosure in an SEC filing early Wednesday.
After months of declines, shares of Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN) were rebounding in a big way on Wednesday. The cause: Longtime investor Nelson Peltz said he may soon push for changes at the slumping fast-food giant -- the kinds of changes that could drive the stock higher.
It's already working, at least for the moment. As of 1:00 p.m. ET, Wendy's shares were up about 16.8% from Tuesday's closing price.
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Peltz's hedge fund firm, Trian Asset Management, said in an SEC filing that the firm has spoken with "potential financing sources, potential co-investors and certain potential strategic partners" about possible transactions that "may benefit the company's shareholders."
Trian has retained advisors to "explore various plans and actions and propose potential transactions," it said in the filing, submitted on Wednesday morning. The firm has been a Wendy's shareholder for years and currently holds about 16% of the company.
Could this reverse Wendy's months-long stock decline?
Wendy's, like other fast-food and fast-casual chains, has struggled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as foot traffic has dropped amid a surge in people working from home.
But Wendy's troubles have accelerated in recent months: Even with Wednesday's gains, shares are down nearly 42% over the past year. While its fourth-quarter earnings beat estimates, its 2026 profit guidance fell well short of Wall Street's expectations.
That in turn led to a wave of analyst price target cuts that hit shares hard on Tuesday. Today's price action suggests that long-suffering investors in the burger giant are eager to see what kind of catalyst Peltz and his team can come up with. We may find out soon.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Wendy's Company (The)

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