08:56 AM EDT, 05/08/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Wendy's (WEN) reiterated its full-year outlook on Friday as the fast food chain's fiscal first-quarter revenue unexpectedly increased year over year.

The company continues to project adjusted earnings to come in between $0.56 and $0.60 per share for fiscal 2026. The current consensus on FactSet is for non-GAAP EPS of $0.57. Global systemwide sales are still pegged to be roughly flat.

For the quarter ended March 29, Wendy's adjusted EPS fell to $0.12 from $0.20, but topped the Street's view for $0.10. Revenue increased 3.3% to $540.6 million, defying the average analyst estimate on FactSet for a decline to $518 million. On an adjusted basis, revenue improved 2.2%.

The stock rose 4.7% in the most recent premarket activity.

"We are taking decisive action to strengthen the Wendy's system and improve performance,"interim Chief Executive Ken Cook said in a statement. "Our focus on operational excellence is driving improvement in order accuracy and key customer satisfaction metrics."

Same-restaurant sales around the world dropped 6.8%, more than the market's forecast for a decrease of 6.4%. In the US, the metric slipped 7.8% versus a 2.8% decline in the prior-year quarter. International same-restaurant sales edged down 0.4%, compared with growth of 2.3% last year.

"While our first-quarter results reflect a business in the early stages of a turnaround, we are making progress to improve our US business and are confident in the direction we are heading,"according to Cook.

Systemwide sales declined 5.5% on an annual basis in the quarter. International growth slowed down to 6% from 8.9%, while the US recorded a 7.3% drop. The company opened 50 new restaurants during the three-month period.

Wendy's said it entered into a franchise agreement with an "experienced"restaurant operator to build up to 1,000 restaurants across China over the next decade, Cook said. "These actions are strengthening our foundation and positioning Wendy's to regain momentum and deliver sustainable growth and long-term value creation,"the interim CEO added.

Earlier in the week, McDonald's (MCD) and Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International (QSR) reported their first-quarter results that came in above Wall Street's estimates.