As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at traditional fast food stocks, starting with Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN).

Traditional fast-food restaurants are renowned for their speed and convenience, boasting menus filled with familiar and budget-friendly items. Their reputations for on-the-go consumption make them favored destinations for individuals and families needing a quick meal. This class of restaurants, however, is fighting the perception that their meals are unhealthy and made with inferior ingredients, a battle that's especially relevant today given the consumers increasing focus on health and wellness.

The 14 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN)

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s (NASDAQ: WEN) is a renowned fast-food chain known for its fresh, never-frozen beef burgers, flavorful menu options, and commitment to quality.

Wendy's reported revenues of $574.3 million, up 6.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

"I am proud of our fourth quarter performance, delivering a strong quarter while outpacing the category. This resulted in our 14th consecutive year of global same-restaurant sales growth," said Kirk Tanner, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The stock is up 8.5% since reporting and currently trades at $15.43.

Is now the time to buy Wendy's? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS)

Started in 1992 by two brothers as a single pushcart, Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS) is a dynamic coffee chain that’s captured the hearts of coffee enthusiasts across the United States.

Dutch Bros reported revenues of $342.8 million, up 34.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.6%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Dutch Bros achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat, fastest revenue growth, and highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 1.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $65.47.

Is now the time to buy Dutch Bros? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ: DNUT)

Famous for its Original Glazed doughnuts and parent company of Insomnia Cookies, Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ: DNUT) is one of the most beloved and well-known fast-food chains in the world.

Krispy Kreme reported revenues of $404 million, down 10.4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Krispy Kreme delivered the slowest revenue growth and weakest full-year guidance update in the group. As expected, the stock is down 38.7% since the results and currently trades at $5.60.

Read our full analysis of Krispy Kreme’s results here.

Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO)

Translating to “Golden Arches” in Spanish, Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO) is the master franchisee of the McDonald's brand in Latin America and the Caribbean, responsible for its operations and growth in over 20 countries.

Arcos Dorados reported revenues of $1.14 billion, down 2.7% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. More broadly, it was actually a strong quarter as it produced a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

Arcos Dorados had the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. The stock is up 6.7% since reporting and currently trades at $8.29.

Read our full, actionable report on Arcos Dorados here, it’s free.

Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM)

Spun off as an independent company from PepsiCo, Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) is a multinational corporation that owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill.

Yum! Brands reported revenues of $2.36 billion, up 16% year on year. This number was in line with analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and same-store sales in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is up 19.7% since reporting and currently trades at $157.10.

Read our full, actionable report on Yum! Brands here, it’s free.

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