Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Given New $238.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its price target dropped by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $255.00 to $238.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 77.32% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Benchmark dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $320.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday. Barclays dropped their price target on Wingstop from $330.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Wingstop from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $325.00 to $240.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Wingstop from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. One equities research analyst has 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $252.52.

Wingstop Stock Down 3.8%

NASDAQ WING traded down $5.23 during trading on Thursday, reaching $134.22. 948,480 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,156,375. Wingstop has a fifty-two week low of $116.35 and a fifty-two week high of $381.45. The firm has a market cap of $3.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.79. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $152.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $189.66.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 15.77% and a negative return on equity of 16.22%. The company had revenue of $185.56 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $190.25 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.00 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Wingstop will post 4.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Wingstop by 76.9% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 138 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 197.9% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 75.7% in the fourth quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 188 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 121.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the fourth quarter worth $63,000.

Wingstop News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted earnings were $1.18 per share, ahead of the $1.02 analyst consensus and up from $1.00 a year earlier. Revenue increased 6.5% year over year to $185.56 million. Wingstop Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop opened 102 net new locations during the quarter, resulting in 16% unit growth. Management reiterated its target for 15% to 16% global unit growth, supporting the company’s longer-term expansion story. Wingstop Fiscal Second-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.33 per share, although the annualized yield remains modest at approximately 0.9%. Wingstop Declares Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating with a $200 price target, indicating continued confidence in Wingstop’s long-term growth potential. Stephens Rating Update
• Negative Sentiment: Management expects domestic same-store sales to decline 4% to 6% in 2026. It attributed recent weakness to pressure on consumer spending and said improved value messaging may be needed to restore traffic. Wingstop Same-Store Sales Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue fell short of expectations of $190.25 million, and analysts lowered price targets: Wells Fargo cut its target to $165 while BTIG reduced its target to $265, though both maintained bullish ratings. The combination of weak traffic trends and target reductions is weighing on sentiment. Analyst Price Target Updates

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.