Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

Shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $116.25 and last traded at $116.7440, with a volume of 1112815 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $123.86.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on WING shares. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. BTIG Research reduced their price target on shares of Wingstop from $305.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Wingstop from $170.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein cut Wingstop from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $220.00 to $155.00 in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $241.81.

Wingstop Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $3.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.81. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $150.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $184.44.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $185.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. Wingstop had a net margin of 16.15% and a negative return on equity of 16.31%. Wingstop’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.00 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Wingstop Inc. will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, September 5th. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. This is a boost from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.50%.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WING. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 76.9% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 138 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Wingstop by 197.9% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Wingstop by 121.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Wingstop during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $63,000.

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.