Royal Bank Of Canada Lowers Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target to $340.00

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its target price decreased by analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $350.00 to $340.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 27.07% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Wingstop from $363.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $285.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Wingstop from $345.00 to $280.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $335.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday. Four equities 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $336.79.

Wingstop Stock Performance

Shares of WING stock traded down $11.51 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $267.57. The company had a trading volume of 193,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 749,377. The firm has a market cap of $7.44 billion, a PE ratio of 43.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.80. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $259.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $268.00. Wingstop has a one year low of $204.00 and a one year high of $388.14.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last issued 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 business had revenue of $175.69 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $177.74 million. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.17% and a net margin of 25.51%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.92 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 5,283 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,373,421.51. This represents a 4.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 1,650.0% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Wingstop by 76.9% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 138 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Wingstop by 197.9% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Wingstop by 134.2% during the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Wingstop by 54.3% in the third quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter.

Wingstop News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and upbeat guidance — Wingstop reported $1.00 EPS vs. $0.84 expected, showed strong margin improvement (adjusted EBITDA lift), and issued 2026 targets that signal accelerating store growth and modest domestic comps. PR Newswire – Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Unit expansion and tech initiatives — 493 net new openings in 2025, international expansion and emphasis on AI-powered “Smart Kitchen” tools and loyalty/digital initiatives that boost off‑premise efficiency and revenue mix. QSR Magazine – AI Kitchens & Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness and price-target lifts — Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” with a $375 PT and BTIG reiterated a “buy” with a $400 PT, helping push sentiment and justify upside expectations. TickerReport – Stephens Benzinga – BTIG note
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns — management continues buybacks that materially reduced share count in Q4/fiscal 2025 and declared a modest quarterly dividend, supporting EPS accretion and investor confidence. MarketBeat – Capital Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views persist — TD Cowen kept a “hold” rating with a $285 PT, underscoring some caution despite upgrades from others. The Fly – TD Cowen
• Neutral Sentiment: Volatility/positioning factors — elevated short interest and pre-earnings positioning likely amplified the move (short covering/options flows), making near-term swings larger than fundamentals alone. QuiverQuant – Volatility Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Same-store sales pressure — Wingstop reported its first full-year same-store sales decline in 22 years and revenue slightly missed estimates, a clear headwind for near-term domestic growth. Franchise Times – Comp Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee performance concerns — analysts/commentary flagged execution issues with some franchisees and a Seeking Alpha piece outlined a rating downgrade tied to franchisee underperformance, which could pressure comps if unresolved. Seeking Alpha – Franchisee Concerns

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.