Wingstop Inc. $WING Stake Reduced by Advisors Asset Management Inc.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) by 51.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,623 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 2,776 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Wingstop were worth $660,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Freedom Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Wingstop by 2.2% during the second quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,371 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 997 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 5,555 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,870,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 985 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $248,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Certuity LLC raised its position in shares of Wingstop by 6.3% during the second quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 1,042 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $351,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period.

Wingstop Trading Up 10.8%

WING stock opened at $279.08 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a PE ratio of 45.45, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.80. Wingstop Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.00 and a 1 year high of $388.14. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $259.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $268.00.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $175.69 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $177.74 million. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.17% and a net margin of 25.51%.The business’s revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.92 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Wingstop Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.54%.

Insider Activity at Wingstop

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

Key Stories Impacting Wingstop

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and margin strength — Wingstop reported $1.00 EPS vs. $0.84 expected and showed healthy adjusted EBITDA and margin upside, a primary driver of the rally. Wingstop Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy unit growth and international expansion — Wingstop opened 493 net new restaurants in 2025 (roughly 19% unit growth) and plans continued store growth, which management says will help drive systemwide sales and future operating leverage. Wingstop Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and buybacks — Company is returning capital (quarterly dividend announcement and meaningful buybacks that trimmed share count), supporting EPS per share over time.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst posture mixed but constructive — Some firms reaffirmed cautious ratings (TD Cowen hold with $285 PT) even as the broader analyst base remains bullish and median targets sit well above current levels. TD Cowen comment / The Fly
• Negative Sentiment: Domestic comps fell — U.S. same-store sales declined (management cited weakness among certain consumer segments), and the company posted its first full-year comp decline in decades — a clear near-term headwind. Wingstop Comparable Sales Fall Amid Consumer Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates modestly and structural risks remain — Q4 revenue was slightly below consensus; financial metrics (negative ROE, leverage/negative equity noted by some analysts) and elevated short interest could cap near-term upside. Investors have WING. Do They Need a Prayer? (MarketBeat)
• Negative Sentiment: Management tone cautious on call — Management acknowledged comp pressure and a cautious consumer environment, tempering the upside case until comps stabilize. Wingstop Earnings Call: Growth Ambition Amid Comp Pressure

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital began coverage on Wingstop in a research report on Friday, January 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price target for the company. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $295.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Wingstop from $363.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Benchmark reduced their price target on shares of Wingstop from $340.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $339.46.

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.