Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Loop Capital

Loop Capital started coverage on shares of Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) in a research note released on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $317.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock.

WING has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays raised their target price on Wingstop from $295.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $365.00 to $330.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $363.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $375.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $340.64.

Wingstop Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:WING opened at $274.00 on Friday. Wingstop has a 52 week low of $204.00 and a 52 week high of $388.14. The company’s 50 day moving average is $248.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $281.05. The company has a market cap of $7.61 billion, a PE ratio of 44.63, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.77.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The restaurant operator reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.18. Wingstop had a net margin of 25.51% and a negative return on equity of 16.17%. The firm had revenue of $175.74 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $189.10 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.88 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Wingstop will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st were given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. Wingstop’s payout ratio is 19.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Wingstop news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.97, for a total transaction of $69,931.93. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 5,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,373,421.51. This trade represents a 4.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Wingstop by 23.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,557,383 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $524,433,000 after buying an additional 294,786 shares during the last quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the 3rd quarter worth $375,317,000. Steadfast Capital Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 296.2% in the 3rd quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 950,521 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $239,227,000 after acquiring an additional 710,621 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 50.0% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 949,033 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $238,853,000 after acquiring an additional 316,328 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Wingstop by 20.8% during the third quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 890,451 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $224,109,000 after acquiring an additional 153,082 shares during the period.

Wingstop Company Profile

Wingstop Inc (NASDAQ: WING) is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in chicken wings and related menu items. Founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, the company has built its brand around bold, chef-inspired wing flavors and a streamlined service model that caters to dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering orders.

The company’s core offerings include both bone-in and boneless chicken wings tossed in a variety of proprietary rubs and sauces, such as Original Hot, Lemon Pepper, and Mango Habanero.