Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Receives “Overweight” Rating from Stephens

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING)‘s stock had its “overweight” rating reissued by analysts at Stephens in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $375.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ target price indicates a potential upside of 34.37% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts have also commented on the stock. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $335.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Wingstop from $365.00 to $330.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Wingstop from $295.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $339.46.

Wingstop Stock Performance

Shares of WING stock opened at $279.08 on Thursday. Wingstop has a fifty-two week low of $204.00 and a fifty-two week high of $388.14. The firm has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.45, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.80. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $259.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $268.00.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $175.69 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $177.74 million. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.17% and a net margin of 25.51%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Wingstop will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Wingstop

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

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Freedom Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Wingstop by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,371 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $462,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Wingstop by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 959 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in shares of Wingstop by 17.3% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 265 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership grew its stake in Wingstop by 10.1% during the fourth quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 426 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $102,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Personal CFO Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Wingstop by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 997 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $336,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter.

Wingstop News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and margin upside: Wingstop reported $1.00 EPS vs. $0.84 expected, with adjusted margin strength that beat forecasts even though revenue of ~$175.7M missed estimates. Management also provided 2026 targets that signal acceleration, helping lift sentiment. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy unit expansion and international growth: Wingstop opened a record 493 net new restaurants in 2025 ( ~20% annual unit growth) and plans continued store-count growth, which management says will drive system sales and operational leverage. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Digital initiatives and Smart Kitchen/AI focus: Management is pushing AI-powered “Smart Kitchen” tools and loyalty/marketing to speed off-premise service and boost digital sales, a strategic win if adoption scales. QSR Magazine
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholder returns: Wingstop declared a $0.30 quarterly dividend (ex-dividend March 6) and continues buybacks that are reducing share count — supportive for EPS over time but modest yield.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance mixed: TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” with a $285 target, reflecting cautious views on comps despite the earnings beat; analyst coverage remains active. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Same-store sales weakness: 2025 marked Wingstop’s first full-year comparable sales decline in 22 years and Q4 domestic comps were down (management highlighted consumer weakness in certain cohorts), a clear headwind that could pressure near-term margin leverage. Franchise Times
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee performance concerns and ratings pressure: Commentary and analyst pieces note management is losing patience with underperforming franchisees and some voices have downgraded franchise-related execution, which raises operational risk if not resolved. Seeking Alpha

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.