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

Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, twenty-two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $241.8148.

A number of research firms recently commented on WING. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $237.00 to $208.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays decreased their price target on Wingstop from $330.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $255.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on Wingstop from $280.00 to $240.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 24th.

Wingstop Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WING opened at $115.43 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $142.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $171.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.42, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.81. Wingstop has a 1 year low of $110.44 and a 1 year high of $342.10.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.31% and a net margin of 16.15%.The company had revenue of $185.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. Wingstop’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Wingstop will post 4.5 EPS for the current year.

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.33 dividend. This is an increase from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.35%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WING. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the second quarter valued at approximately $481,314,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in Wingstop during the second quarter worth $147,440,000. Steadfast Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 296.2% in the third quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 950,521 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $239,227,000 after acquiring an additional 710,621 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the second quarter valued at $80,456,000. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the second quarter valued at $74,595,000.

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.