Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-three analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, twenty-four have issued a buy rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $340.00.

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $345.00 to $280.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of Wingstop in a report on Friday, January 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 24th. BTIG Research decreased their target price on Wingstop from $430.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Wingstop from $365.00 to $330.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th.

Insider Activity at Wingstop

In related news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.97, for a total transaction of $69,931.93. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in Wingstop by 1,650.0% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 134.2% during the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 54.3% during the 3rd quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Wingstop in the second quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Wingstop by 4,200.0% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 129 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter.

Wingstop Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WING opened at $272.70 on Thursday. Wingstop has a 52-week low of $204.00 and a 52-week high of $388.14. The company has a market capitalization of $7.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $258.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $274.97.

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

Wingstop Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 21st were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.54%.

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.