Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-three research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $336.0741.

Several research firms have recently commented on WING. Citigroup lifted their target price on Wingstop from $267.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Melius Research set a $350.00 price objective on Wingstop in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Wingstop from $350.00 to $340.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Wingstop from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut 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.

Insider Activity at Wingstop

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

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quaker Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Wingstop by 134.2% during the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 1,650.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Wingstop by 4,200.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 129 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Wingstop by 76.9% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 138 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Wingstop by 54.3% during the third quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter.

Wingstop Trading Up 0.3%

WING opened at $260.89 on Monday. Wingstop has a 1-year low of $204.00 and a 1-year high of $388.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a PE ratio of 42.22, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.80. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $260.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $266.35.

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

Wingstop Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.42%.

Key Stories 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

About Wingstop

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.