Wingstop’s (WING) Hold Rating Reaffirmed at TD Cowen

TD Cowen restated their hold rating on shares of Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a $285.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on WING. Loop Capital started coverage on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Friday, January 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $317.00 target price for the company. Northcoast Research upgraded Wingstop from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Benchmark reduced their price objective on Wingstop from $340.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Wingstop from $363.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their target price on Wingstop from $400.00 to $365.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $339.46.

Wingstop Stock Performance

Shares of WING stock opened at $279.08 on Wednesday. Wingstop has a 1 year low of $204.00 and a 1 year high of $388.14. The stock has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a PE ratio of 45.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.80. The business’s fifty day moving average is $259.27 and its 200-day moving average is $268.00.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $175.69 million during 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 company’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Wingstop will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Wingstop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Wingstop’s payout ratio is presently 19.54%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wingstop

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in Wingstop by 1,650.0% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 76.9% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 138 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 197.9% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Wingstop by 134.2% in the second 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. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Wingstop by 54.3% in the third 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.

Wingstop News Roundup

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

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.