Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Shares Up 5.9% – Here’s Why

Shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) rose 5.9% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $125.94 and last traded at $126.0020. Approximately 1,057,208 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 6% from the average daily volume of 1,121,277 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.96.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WING has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Wingstop from $295.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 24th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $175.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Wingstop in a report on Monday, March 9th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Finally, BTIG Research cut their price target on shares of Wingstop from $400.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $282.41.

Wingstop Stock Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average is $176.22 and its 200-day moving average is $226.35. The company has a market capitalization of $3.47 billion, a PE ratio of 31.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.86.

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

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.73, for a total transaction of $703,971.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,583 shares in the company, valued at approximately $673,465.59. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $141,500.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,375 shares in the company, valued at $1,093,750. The trade was a 11.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in Wingstop by 1,650.0% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its holdings in Wingstop by 197.9% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Wingstop by 54.3% during the 3rd quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Wingstop by 75.7% during the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 188 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period.

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.