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

Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation, twenty-three have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $255.1852.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WING shares. Stephens set a $200.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Wingstop from $264.00 to $234.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th.

Wingstop Stock Up 3.4%

Shares of Wingstop stock opened at $139.45 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $152.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $189.66. Wingstop has a 52 week low of $116.35 and a 52 week high of $381.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.79.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 15.77% and a negative return on equity of 16.22%. The firm had revenue of $185.56 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $190.25 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. Wingstop’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Wingstop will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.33 dividend. This is a positive change from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Wingstop’s payout ratio is currently 29.85%.

More Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.18 per share, exceeding the $1.02 analyst consensus and rising from $1.00 a year earlier. Revenue increased 6.5% year over year to $185.56 million. Wingstop Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company added 102 net restaurants during the quarter, driving 16% unit growth. Management said expansion and other strategic initiatives are intended to support the next phase of growth. Wingstop Fiscal Second-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.33 per share, payable September 5 to shareholders of record August 15. The increase signals confidence in cash generation, although the annualized yield remains modest at approximately 0.9%.
• Neutral Sentiment: National Chicken Wing Day promotions and limited-time deals provide additional brand visibility and could support near-term customer traffic, but discounts may also limit the financial benefit. National Chicken Wing Day Deals
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell short of Wall Street expectations of approximately $190.25 million, making the top-line miss the main counterweight to the EPS beat. Wingstop Misses Q2 Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management attributed a decline in same-store sales to pressure on consumer spending. That trend raises concerns about demand at existing locations and is particularly important for a restaurant stock trading well below its longer-term moving averages. Wingstop Same-Store Sales Decline

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WING. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Wingstop during the 1st quarter valued at about $256,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Wingstop by 2,770.6% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,952 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $440,000 after acquiring an additional 1,884 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted 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 acquiring an additional 4,937 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in Wingstop by 121.4% during the first 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 increased its stake in Wingstop by 45.5% during the second 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.

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.