Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Cut to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Citigroup decreased their price target on Wingstop from $191.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Wingstop from $240.00 to $200.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Benchmark decreased their target price on Wingstop from $285.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $222.43.

Wingstop Trading Up 8.9%

Shares of WING opened at $163.04 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $116.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $164.01. Wingstop has a twelve month low of $95.82 and a twelve month high of $302.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.27, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.81.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.06. Wingstop had a net margin of 16.03% and a negative return on equity of 15.80%. The company had revenue of $185.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $192.89 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.09 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Wingstop will post 4.19 EPS for the current year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Wingstop’s payout ratio is presently 30.99%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 1,520 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.11, for a total value of $220,567.20. Following the sale, the director directly owned 3,986 shares in the company, valued at $578,408.46. This represents a 27.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Raj Kapoor sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.61, for a total transaction of $409,025.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 1,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $271,428.99. This trade represents a 60.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in Wingstop during the second quarter worth $34,000. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 161.2% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 350 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Wingstop by 141.8% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 370 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Wingstop by 35.0% in the third quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 409 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the second quarter valued at $46,000.

About Wingstop

Wingstop Inc is a franchised restaurant company specializing in cooked-to-order chicken wings and related menu items. Its offerings include classic and boneless wings prepared with a range of flavors, along with chicken sandwiches, tenders, fries, seasoned fries, dips, sides and beverages. The company emphasizes made-to-order food, a digital ordering experience and a menu centered on customizable chicken meals.

Founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, Wingstop has expanded from a single restaurant into a global brand operated primarily through franchised locations.