Lowe`s Companies Inc vs Wendys Co — how do they compare? Lowe`s Companies Inc trades at $202.53 (market cap $114.78B), while Wendys Co trades at $7.8 (market cap $1.50B). The key difference: Lowe`s Companies Inc is far larger — about 76.5× Wendys Co's market cap, and Wendys Co pays the higher dividend (7.13%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LOW | WEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $114.78B | $1.50B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $287.39 | $11.33 |
52-Week Low | $204.76 | $6.17 |
Enterprise Value | $156.54B | $5.31B |
Dividend Yield | 2.44% | 7.13% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Lowe's (LOW) trades at $204.08, down 2.23% on the day, amid a bearish technical signal. The stock has consistently beaten earnings expectations in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $3.03 exceeding the $2.97 estimate. Revenue for 2025 was $83.67 billion, with a net income margin of 7.51%. The company maintains a strong dividend history, recently declaring a $1.25 per share dividend payable in August 2026.
The outlook is mixed. Strong analyst consensus, with a $260.88 price target and 60.79% buy ratings, suggests upside potential. However, high debt levels, with a debt-to-asset ratio of 82.33% for 2025, and a projected net cash flow deficit of $2.3 billion for 2026 present significant financial risks. Competitive pressures in the home improvement sector remain a key challenge.
Wendy's (WEN) trades at $7.805, up 0.58% with a bullish technical signal and recent earnings beats. The stock shows attractive valuation metrics with P/E of 10.07 and P/S of 0.68, though net margins have declined to 6.77%. Recent news highlights Project Fresh initiatives and China expansion plans, while the company maintains a $0.14 dividend payment scheduled for June 2026.
WEN presents a mixed outlook with strong valuation appeal and dividend yield offset by margin pressures and declining earnings. The stock's 28% monthly gain reflects retail investor enthusiasm, but fundamental challenges require careful monitoring of turnaround execution and competitive positioning in the crowded fast-food sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world, operating 1,969 stores and servicing around 230 dealer-owned stores throughout the United States and Canada. The firm's stores offer products and services for home decorating, maintenance, repair, and remodeling, with maintenance and repair accounting for two thirds of products sold. Lowe's targets retail do-it-yourself (around 75% of sales) and do-it-for-me customers as well as commercial and professional business clients (around 25% of sales). We estimate Lowe's captures a low-double-digit share of the domestic home improvement market, based on U.S. Census data and management's estimates for market size.
Read more on LOW →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 →