NDLS
Noodles & Company Consumer Cyclical - Restaurants Investor Relations →
Noodles & Company (NDLS) closed at $6.14 as of 2026-03-20, trading 69.9% below its 200-week moving average of $20.40. This places NDLS in the extreme value zone. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from -70.3% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 52, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.1x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.20 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 616 weeks of data, NDLS has crossed below its 200-week moving average 9 times. On average, these episodes lasted 56 weeks. Historically, investors who bought NDLS at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +0.4%.
With a market cap of $36 million, NDLS is a small-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 7.7%, which is healthy. The stock trades at -0.9x book value.
Over the past 11.8 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in NDLS would have grown to $2, compared to $406 for the S&P 500. NDLS has returned -27.4% annualized vs 12.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been declining at a -100% compound annual rate. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: NDLS vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After NDLS Crosses Below the Line?
Across 9 historical episodes, buying NDLS when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +13.0% after 12 months (median -19.0%), compared to +15.3% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 22% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was -8.8% vs +33.6% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment NDLS crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
NDLS has crossed below its 200-week MA 9 times with an average 1-year return of +0.4% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2014 | Jun 2018 | 211 | 82.9% | -52.1% | -97.7% |
| Jul 2018 | Aug 2018 | 2 | 5.3% | -24.6% | -92.2% |
| Oct 2018 | May 2019 | 27 | 27.9% | -42.7% | -91.9% |
| May 2019 | Jun 2019 | 5 | 9.3% | -35.0% | -90.2% |
| Jul 2019 | Jan 2020 | 25 | 32.1% | -10.9% | -89.7% |
| Mar 2020 | Jul 2020 | 19 | 48.8% | +111.3% | -86.4% |
| Oct 2020 | Nov 2020 | 2 | 3.5% | +88.1% | -88.1% |
| Jan 2022 | Jan 2022 | 4 | 6.9% | -31.1% | -90.7% |
| Feb 2022 | Ongoing | 213+ | 89.0% | Ongoing | -89.2% |
| Average | 56 | — | +0.4% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NDLS below its 200-week moving average?
Yes. As of 2026-03-20, Noodles & Company (NDLS) is trading 69.9% below its 200-week moving average of $20.40. The current price is $6.14.
What is NDLS's 200-week moving average price?
Noodles & Company's 200-week moving average is $20.40 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when NDLS drops below its 200-week moving average?
NDLS has crossed below its 200-week moving average 9 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +0.4%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 56 weeks on average.
Is NDLS a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about NDLS as of 2026-03-20: The stock is below its 200-week moving average, which is the starting point for our analysis. The 14-week RSI is 52. Free cash flow yield is 7.7%. Price-to-book is -0.9x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does NDLS compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 11.8 years, $100 invested in NDLS would have grown to $2, compared to $406 for the S&P 500. That's -27.4% annualized vs 12.6% for the index. NDLS has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20