(Reuters) - Wendy's Co raised its annual forecast for earnings on Wednesday, betting that its breakfast menu, launched just before the lockdowns were announced last year, will bring in customers as restaurants reopen for dining after restrictions were eased.
The burger chain is readying for customers to return to its restaurants with new launches like a fried chicken sandwich to tackle that of its competition, iced beverages and its popular breakfast offerings.
Wendy's now expects adjusted earnings to be between 72 cents and 74 cents per share and global systemwide sales to grow in the range of 8% to 10% for 2021.
It had earlier forecast earnings between 67 cents and 69 cents per share and sales growth between 6% to 8% for the same period.
For the first quarter, U.S. same-store sales rose 13.5%, beating expectations of 9.84%, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.