Noodles & Company stock climbs after narrower quarterly loss and revenue beat

8 articles · Updated · MarketWatch · May 6

Shares rose 21% to $13.74 after hours on Wednesday after the fast-casual chain reported a first-quarter loss of $3.4 million, improved from $9.1 million a year earlier.
Adjusted loss was 44 cents a share, better than analysts' expected 61-cent loss, while revenue was flat at $123.8 million but topped the $121.5 million consensus.
The company raised its full-year revenue outlook to $483 million-$498 million, above FactSet's $478 million estimate, and forecast comparable restaurant sales growth of 7% to 9%.

Is Noodles & Co.'s comeback a real turnaround or an illusion fueled by closing dozens of underperforming restaurants?

With a potential sale looming, how will this surprisingly strong quarter impact the company's ultimate valuation and fate?

Beyond store closures, what is the company's plan to achieve sustainable profitability in a competitive market?