Estee Lauder Companies Inc vs Wendys Co — how do they compare? Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $82.64 (market cap $29.78B), while Wendys Co trades at $7.52 (market cap $1.42B). The key difference: Estee Lauder Companies Inc is far larger — about 21× Wendys Co's market cap, and Wendys Co pays the higher dividend (7.53%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| EL | WEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $29.78B | $1.42B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $119.61 | $11.33 |
52-Week Low | $67.23 | $6.17 |
Enterprise Value | $35.95B | $5.23B |
Dividend Yield | 1.7% | 7.53% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Estée Lauder (EL) trades at $80.86, down 0.36% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and recent earnings beats. The stock shows a high P/E of 147.8 and negative net income margin of -1.67%, though revenue remains substantial at $14.33 billion for 2025. Recent news highlights innovation in beauty trends, but cash flow trends show net outflows over recent years.
Outlook is mixed: analyst consensus targets $90.60 with 44% buy ratings, but high valuation and profitability challenges pose risks. Recovery depends on margin improvement and sustained revenue growth amid competitive pressures.
Wendy's (WEN) trades at $7.42, down 1.07% today, showing mixed technical signals with a bullish overall rating but bearish moving averages. The stock offers compelling valuation metrics including a P/E of 9.66 and P/S of 0.65, while recent earnings have consistently beaten expectations. Revenue remains stable at $2.18B (2025) though net income margin has declined to 6.77%. The company continues its Project Fresh initiatives and digital transformation while facing margin pressures and competitive challenges in the fast-food sector.
WEN presents a value opportunity with attractive valuation multiples and a 7.1% dividend yield, supported by consistent earnings beats. However, declining profit margins, weak U.S. traffic trends, and high debt levels pose significant risks. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 62.75% hold ratings, suggesting cautious optimism amid ongoing turnaround efforts and meme stock volatility.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Estee Lauder is the world leader in the global prestige beauty market, participating across skincare (56% of fiscal 2022 sales), makeup (26%), fragrance (14%), and haircare (4%) categories, with popular brands such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer, Jo Malone, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Too Faced, Origins, Dr. Jart+, and The Ordinary. The firm operates in 150 countries, with 26% of fiscal 2022 revenue stemming from the Americas, 43% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and 31% from Asia-Pacific. The company sells its products through department stores, travel retail, multi-brand specialty beauty stores, brand-dedicated freestanding stores, e-commerce, salons/spas, and perfumeries.
Read more on EL →The Wendy's Company is the second-largest burger quick-service restaurant, or QSR, chain in the United States by systemwide sales, with $11.1 billion in 2021, narrowly edging Burger King ($10.3 billion) and clocking in well behind wide-moat McDonald's ($45.7 billion). After divestitures of Tim Hortons (2006) and Arby's (2011), the firm manages just the burger banner, generating sales across a footprint that spans almost 7,000 total units in 30 countries. Wendy's generates revenue from the sale of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and fries throughout its company-owned footprint, through franchise royalty and marketing fund payments remitted by its franchisees, which account for 94% of stores, and through franchise flipping and advisory fees.
Read more on WEN →