Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) Receives $282.41 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-four brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, twenty-six have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $282.4138.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WING. Raymond James Financial upgraded Wingstop from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $325.00 to $240.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Wingstop from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $290.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Wingstop in a research note on Monday, March 9th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded Wingstop from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Wingstop in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $275.00 price target on the stock.

Wingstop Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WING opened at $120.61 on Friday. Wingstop has a fifty-two week low of $118.81 and a fifty-two week high of $388.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a PE ratio of 30.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.86. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $178.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $227.33.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $183.73 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $187.82 million. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 15.77%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.99 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Wingstop news, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of Wingstop stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $141,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,093,750. This trade represents a 11.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of Wingstop stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.73, for a total value of $703,971.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,583 shares in the company, valued at $673,465.59. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vident Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 959 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership lifted its position in Wingstop by 10.1% in the fourth quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 426 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $102,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its position in Wingstop by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,628 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $627,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Wingstop by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 985 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $248,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter.

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.