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

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

Several other analysts have also commented on the stock. Benchmark lowered their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $340.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $365.00 to $330.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and set a $285.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $363.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $339.46.

Wingstop Trading Up 10.8%

Shares of WING opened at $279.08 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $259.27 and a 200 day moving average of $268.00. The company has a market capitalization of $7.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.45, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.80. Wingstop has a 12 month low of $204.00 and a 12 month high of $388.14.

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

Insider Activity at Wingstop

In other news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 5,283 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,373,421.51. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WING. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,111,089 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $503,475,000 after buying an additional 58,386 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Wingstop by 23.3% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,557,383 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $524,433,000 after acquiring an additional 294,786 shares during the last quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC purchased a new position in Wingstop in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $375,317,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in Wingstop by 48.1% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,405,894 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $335,292,000 after purchasing an additional 456,861 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steadfast Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 296.2% during the third quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 950,521 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $239,227,000 after purchasing an additional 710,621 shares during the period.

More Wingstop News

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

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.