Barclays Lowers Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target to $330.00

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its price target decreased by equities researchers at Barclays from $335.00 to $330.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 26.49% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also commented on WING. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Wingstop from $350.00 to $340.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen lowered Wingstop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on shares of Wingstop from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Loop Capital began coverage on Wingstop in a report on Friday, January 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 target price for the company. 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Wingstop presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $336.07.

Wingstop Trading Up 0.3%

NASDAQ:WING opened at $260.89 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $7.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.80. Wingstop has a twelve month low of $204.00 and a twelve month high of $388.14. The company has a 50-day moving average of $260.26 and a 200-day moving average of $267.33.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 25.01% and a negative return on equity of 16.12%. The firm had revenue of $175.69 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $177.74 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.92 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

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 sale, the director owned 5,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,373,421.51. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WING. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the first quarter valued at $256,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 2,770.6% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,952 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $440,000 after purchasing an additional 1,884 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Wingstop by 5.6% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 92,439 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $20,852,000 after purchasing an additional 4,937 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Wingstop by 121.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Wingstop by 45.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,387 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $467,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares during the last quarter.

Key Headlines Impacting Wingstop

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and constructive guidance — Wingstop reported stronger-than-expected EPS and improved adjusted EBITDA margins, and management guided to low-single-digit domestic comps and ~15% global unit growth, which supports an earnings acceleration thesis. Investors Have WING. Do They Need a Prayer?
• Positive Sentiment: Unit growth & tech-led off-premise gains — Wingstop added ~20% more stores year-over-year and highlighted Smart Kitchen (AI order prioritization) and ~75% digital growth as levers to boost AUVs and operating leverage as comps recover. After Rare Sales Decline, Wingstop Targets AI Kitchens, Loyalty, and Marketing to Reignite Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and institutional buying — Aggressive buybacks (reducing share count ~4–5% in Q4) plus a modest dividend and heavy institutional ownership / buying provide technical and capital-return support that can amplify rallies and prompt short-covering. Investors Have WING. Do They Need a Prayer?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst moves are mixed — Several firms reaffirm or raise targets (Stephens, BTIG) while others trimmed targets modestly (RBC, Barclays) but many still show sizable upside, producing divergent near-term sentiment despite broader bullish coverage. Analyst Ratings and Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Street reaction shows caution — TD Cowen reiterated a Hold, reflecting a wait-and-see stance despite the beat; the market is sorting whether growth will be comp-led or unit-led. TD Cowen Reiterates Hold for Wingstop
• Negative Sentiment: Comp pressure and rising competition — Wingstop reported its first annual same-store sales decline in decades; analysts warn competition (the “fried chicken” arms race and other chains) and commoditization of customization could limit pricing power and premium multiples. Wingstop Reports First Same-Store Annual Sales Decline in 22 Years
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee execution & capital allocation critique — Short reports and some sell-side commentary point to weaker franchisee performance, heavy reliance on new-unit openings for growth, and most FCF being returned to buybacks/dividends rather than reinvested in operations — risks to sustainable comp recovery. Losing Patience With Poor Franchisee Performance
• Negative Sentiment: Broader macro/traffic headwinds — Coverage notes winter storms and weaker traffic trends pressured Q4 comps; management actions (loyalty, marketing, AI kitchens) aim to offset but execution risk remains. How Wingstop plans to weather traffic slides and winter storms

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.