BJ's Restaurants (BJRI) vs Wendy's (WEN)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
BJ's Restaurants (BJRI) has outperformed Wendy's (WEN) over the past year, gaining 92.7% versus a loss of 32.9%. Over five years, BJRI leads with a +58.3% price change compared with -72.4% for WEN. BJ's Restaurants is the larger company by market cap ($1.26 billion vs $1.16 billion), about 1.1 times the size.
On valuation, Wendy's trades at a lower forward P/E (11.9x vs 21.8x for BJ's Restaurants). Wendy's pays a dividend yielding 9.17%, while BJ's Restaurants does not currently pay one.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | BJRI | WEN |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $59.32 | $6.11 |
| Market cap | $1.26B | $1.16B |
| 1-day change | -3.28% | -0.81% |
| YTD return | +50.56% | -26.65% |
| 1-year return | +92.66% | -32.93% |
| 5-year return | +58.27% | -72.40% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 32.77 | 9.40 |
| Forward P/E | 21.79 | 11.89 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.81 | $0.65 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 9.17% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.56 |
| 52-week high | $74.60 | $10.12 |
| 52-week low | $28.46 | $5.94 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -20.48% | -39.62% |
| Average volume | 467.49K | 7.90M |
| Shares outstanding | 21.27M | 190.67M |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Restaurants | Restaurants |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- BJRI has outperformed WEN by 125.6 percentage points over the past year.
- BJ's Restaurants trades at a higher earnings multiple (32.8x vs 9.4x trailing P/E).
- Wendy's offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (9.17% vs 0.00%).
BJRI vs WEN FAQ
Which is bigger, BJ's Restaurants or Wendy's?
BJ's Restaurants (BJRI) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.26B compared with $1.16B for Wendy's (WEN).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, BJRI or WEN?
BJRI returned +92.66% over the past 12 months, compared with -32.93% for WEN (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, BJRI or WEN?
WEN has the lower trailing P/E at 9.4, versus 32.8 for BJRI. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, BJ's Restaurants or Wendy's?
Wendy's pays a dividend yielding 9.17%, while BJ's Restaurants does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are BJ's Restaurants and Wendy's in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Restaurants industry within the Consumer Discretionary sector.