THE WENDY'S COMPANY REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS AND PROVIDES 2026 OUTLOOK

Core Viewpoint - The Wendy's Company reported its fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, highlighting challenges in the U.S. market while showing growth in international sales and restaurant openings. The company is focused on executing its Project Fresh turnaround plan and has provided an outlook for 2026. Financial Highlights - Total revenues for the fourth quarter were $543.0 million, a decrease of 5.5% from the previous year, while full year revenues were $2.1769 billion, down 3.1% [1][2] - Reported net income for the fourth quarter was $26.5 million, a decline of 44.2%, and for the full year, it was $165.1 million, down 15.1% [1][2] - Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $113.3 million, a decrease of 17.6%, and for the full year, it was $522.4 million, down 3.9% [1][2] - Reported diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter were $0.14, down 39.1%, and for the full year, it was $0.85, down 10.5% [1][2] Operational Highlights - The company added 34 net new restaurants in the fourth quarter, totaling 157 net new restaurants for the full year, representing a 2.2% increase [1] - International systemwide sales grew by 6.2% in the fourth quarter and 8.1% for the full year, supported by 121 net new restaurants in 2025 [1] - Global systemwide sales for the fourth quarter were $3.4 billion, a decrease of 8.3%, and for the full year, they were $14.0 billion, down 3.5% [1] 2026 Outlook - The company expects global systemwide sales growth to be approximately flat in 2026 [2] - Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be between $460 million and $480 million [2] - Adjusted earnings per share are expected to be between $0.56 and $0.60 [2] - Capital expenditures and franchise development fund investments are anticipated to be between $120 million and $130 million [2] - Free cash flow is projected to be between $190 million and $205 million [2] Shareholder Returns - The company returned $329.6 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases for the full year, an increase of over $48 million from the prior year [1] - A quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share was declared, payable on March 16, 2026 [2]