Noodles & Co AI Stock Analysis
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Noodles & Co (NDLS) AI Stock Analysis
Noodles & Co
(NASDAQ:NDLS)
NDLS scores below average primarily due to high financial risk: negative equity, heavy leverage, and continued net losses despite improving revenue and EBITDA. Technicals are moderately supportive with the stock trading above key moving averages, but mixed momentum indicators and a loss-driven (negative) P/E with no dividend support keep the overall score restrained.
Noodles & Co (NDLS) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
- Market Cap
- $84.73M
- Dividend Yield
- ―
- Average Volume (3M)
- 38.01K
- Price to Earnings (P/E)
- -3.5
- Beta (1Y)
- 0.92
- Revenue Growth
- 0.19%
- EPS Growth
- 46.85%
- Country
- US
- Employees
- 6,500
- Sector
- Consumer Cyclical
- Sector Strength
- 61
- Industry
- Restaurants
Noodles & Co Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Noodles & Company is a fast-casual dining enterprise, engaged in both the conceptualization and operation of its eateries. Patrons can choose from an extensive menu of meals prepared fresh to order, featuring a variety of noodle and pasta dishes, com...
How the Company Makes Money
Noodles & Company makes money primarily by selling food and beverages to customers through its restaurant network. The company’s core revenue stream is restaurant sales generated from company-owned locations, including orders placed in-restaurant and...
Noodles & Co Earnings Call Summary
The call conveyed strong operational momentum: meaningful comparable sales growth, significant margin expansion, tripling of adjusted EBITDA, improved customer acquisition and raised full-year guidance. These positives are partly offset by a flat total revenue figure (due to closures), a Q1 net loss that included a $2.7M impairment, low quarter-end cash ($1.4M), elevated debt ($106.8M) and planned restaurant closures. Overall, the operational improvements, financial outperformance versus prior year, and upgraded guidance outweigh the challenges, which management positions as strategic and temporary.
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Negative Updates
Company Guidance
Noodles & Company raised full‑year 2026 guidance to total revenue of $483–$498 million, with comp restaurant sales growth of 7%–10% and restaurant contribution margin of 15.5%–17%; adjusted EBITDA is expected to be $32.5–$37.5 million. Management forecasts G&A of $50–$53 million (including roughly $2.5 million of stock‑based compensation), depreciation & amortization of $24–$25 million, interest expense of $10–$11 million, and capital expenditures of $9.5–$10.5 million; they project 1–2 new franchise openings and plan to close about 30–35 company‑owned and 5 franchise restaurants. The company expects to be free‑cash‑flow positive and to reduce debt by approximately $10 million in 2026 (including the $3.4 million reduction already realized), having ended Q1 with $1.4 million of available cash and $106.8 million of debt.
Noodles & Co Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Operational trends are improving (TTM revenue up 12.2%, EBITDA margin back to positive, and modestly positive free cash flow), but overall fundamentals remain weak due to ongoing net losses, sharply compressed gross margin, and a highly pressured balance sheet with high leverage and negative equity.
Income Statement
32NegativeBalance Sheet
18Very NegativeCash Flow
36Negative| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 495.69M | 495.09M | 493.27M | 503.40M | 509.48M | 475.15M |
| Gross Profit | 24.07M | 44.03M | 168.96M | 84.21M | 80.17M | 82.08M |
| EBITDA | 11.92M | -4.54M | 1.29M | 21.76M | 22.44M | 28.15M |
| Net Income | -23.33M | -42.57M | -36.21M | -9.86M | -3.31M | 3.67M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 235.77M | 261.67M | 324.65M | 368.10M | 343.84M | 341.46M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 1.30M | 1.26M | 1.15M | 3.01M | 1.52M | 2.25M |
| Total Debt | 242.53M | 263.83M | 291.50M | 298.94M | 264.16M | 249.78M |
| Total Liabilities | 286.79M | 306.98M | 330.23M | 340.94M | 305.48M | 303.83M |
| Stockholders Equity | -51.02M | -45.30M | -5.58M | 27.16M | 38.36M | 37.63M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 3.76M | -5.11M | -21.21M | -24.55M | -24.33M | 17.39M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 13.42M | 7.28M | 7.56M | 27.50M | 9.56M | 36.16M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -9.66M | -12.39M | -26.71M | -51.80M | -32.31M | -18.37M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -4.73M | 5.23M | 17.29M | 25.80M | 22.02M | -23.38M |
Noodles & Co Technical Analysis
Price Trends
Market Momentum
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For NDLS, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 14.20 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 14.00, above the 50-day MA of 13.81, and above the 200-day MA of 11.64, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.18 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 50.64 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 24.00 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for NDLS.
Noodles & Co Risk Analysis
Noodles & Co disclosed 36 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Noodles & Co reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Latest Risks Added
3 New RisksNoodles & Co Peers Comparison
Overall Rating
RAVE74Outperform
BDL71Outperform
GTIM65Neutral- NDLS49Neutral
ARKR38Underperform
Financial Indicators
| Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAVE | 74Outperform | $29.93M | 10.38 | 17.21% | ― | 6.70% | 3.98% |
| BDL | 71Outperform | $107.97M | 16.37 | 9.84% | 1.03% | 6.14% | 53.60% |
| GTIM | 65Neutral | $13.30M | 6.25 | 6.62% | ― | -5.81% | 78.41% |
| Sector * | 61Neutral | $18.38B | 12.79 | -2.54% | 3.03% | 1.52% | -15.83% |
| NDLS | 49Neutral | $82.94M | -3.54 | 50.91% | ― | 0.19% | 46.85% |
| ARKR | 38Underperform | $16.30M | -5.13 | -9.79% | ― | -9.48% | 77.31% |
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
| Show on chart | Ticker | Company Name | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDLS | Noodles & Company | 14.20 | 8.33 | 141.99% | |
| ARKR | Ark Restaurants Corp. | 4.51 | -2.70 | -37.45% | |
| BDL | Flanigan's Enterprises | 58.43 | 27.45 | 88.58% | |
| GTIM | Good Times Restaurants | 1.32 | 0.00 | 0.00% | |
| RAVE | Rave Restaurant Group | 2.15 | -0.87 | -28.81% |
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.
Date of analysis: Oct 29, 2026