Compare Wendys Co (WEN) vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock (WTRG) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Wendys Co vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Wendys Co trades at $6.4 (market cap $1.21B), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.15B). The key difference: Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock is far larger — about 9.2× Wendys Co's market cap, and Wendys Co pays the higher dividend (4.41%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Wendys Co for 78 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| WEN | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $1.21B | $11.15B |
Volume | 3,737,069 | 1,760,234 |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Utilities |
52-Week High | $9.33 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $6.10 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 78 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | $4.94B | $19.66B |
Dividend Yield | 4.41% | 3.67% |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Wendy's stock trades at $6.44, up 2.06% today, but remains near multi-year lows amid ongoing operational challenges. The company shows attractive valuation metrics with a P/E of 9.62 and P/S of 0.55, while maintaining consistent revenue around $2.2B. However, declining net income margins (5.72% in 2025) and a major franchisee bankruptcy highlight significant headwinds. Technical indicators show bearish momentum with the stock trading near key support levels.
While Wendy's valuation appears compelling, the stock faces substantial risks from declining profitability, high debt levels, and competitive pressures. Analyst consensus leans cautious with a $7.58 price target, suggesting limited upside. The recent CEO change and international expansion plans offer potential catalysts, but execution risks remain elevated given the challenging restaurant environment.
WTRG trades at $39.29, up 0.36% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with two beats and one miss in recent quarters, while maintaining strong profitability margins (21.6% net income margin). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $44.50 price target, supported by ongoing acquisitions and pending merger developments with American Water.
The stock presents a stable utility investment with moderate growth potential through strategic acquisitions, though near-term earnings volatility and integration risks from the pending merger warrant caution. Current valuation at 20.15 P/E appears reasonable given the company's consistent cash flow generation and defensive sector positioning.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Investor sentiment on Pluang
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
About Wendys Co
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 →About Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock
Essential Utilities Inc. is a holding company for regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands. It serves customers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Read more on WTRG →
