Quick-Service/Fast-Casual: 2-Year Average Check Gain Holds Mostly Steady in May

By Ryan D. Lavender Published on June 3, 2021 at 9:12 PM

May 2021 was the second full month in the U.S. to lap a year-ago month that was affected by the pandemic and related issues. How is average check changing in the U.S. quick-service and fast-casual segments given these recent dynamics? Our bottom line: average check is holding in better than expected for fast-casual and quick-service. To the extent two-year trends in average check don’t deteriorate all that much over the remainder of 2021, this could be a positive for multiple companies, and potentially their investors as well.

Which Restaurant Stocks are Most Below their 52-Week Highs?

By Ryan D. Lavender Published on March 8, 2021 at 5:00 PM

Sometimes, relative bargains can be unearthed when looking at a group of stocks, and comparing their current prices with these stocks’ 52-week highs. For example, many full-service restaurant stocks were -50% or more below their 52-week highs as of late March 2020, and in hindsight, this proved to be a great time to load up on many full-service restaurant stocks.

WEN (Post-Call): Expects Q1 U.S. Same-Store Sales to Rise by About +10%

By Ryan D. Lavender Published on March 3, 2021 at 5:40 PM

Earlier today, Wendy’s reported Q4 2020 adjusted EPS of $0.17. While this was one cent better than our $0.16 forecast, it still came in one cent below sell-side consensus (according to Consensus Metrix) of $0.18. Wendy’s indicates that the EPS number was ahead of its internal plan.