Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo & Company Analyst Says

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised Wingstop’s price target from $165 to $170 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying 20.69% potential upside from the reported share price.
• Wingstop beat quarterly EPS expectations with $1.08 versus $1.02 forecast, while revenue rose 5.4% year over year to $185.13 million but fell short of estimates.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and $224.86 average target, though weak same-store sales and a projected 6.5%–7.0% domestic decline in 2026 remain key risks.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price target would suggest a potential upside of 20.69% from the stock's current price.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Wingstop from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings cut Wingstop from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Wingstop from $200.00 to $150.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $224.86.

Wingstop Stock Performance

Shares of WING opened at $140.86 on Thursday. Wingstop has a 52 week low of $95.82 and a 52 week high of $302.80. The firm has a market cap of $3.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.81. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $113.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $165.89.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.06. Wingstop had a net margin of 16.15% and a negative return on equity of 16.31%. The firm had revenue of $185.13 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $192.89 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.09 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wingstop

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Wingstop during the second quarter worth $481,314,000. Darsana Capital Partners LP boosted its position in Wingstop by 20.0% during the second quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP now owns 1,500,000 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $260,115,000 after acquiring an additional 250,000 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its position in Wingstop by 44.5% during the second quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 942,943 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $163,516,000 after acquiring an additional 290,501 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Wingstop by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 863,951 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $149,751,000 after acquiring an additional 16,907 shares during the period. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in Wingstop during the 2nd quarter worth about $147,440,000.

More Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Profit beat supports sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.08 exceeded the $1.02 consensus estimate, while net income rose 2.2% year over year to $29.1 million. Revenue increased 5.3% to $185.1 million, although it fell short of expectations. Wingstop fiscal third-quarter financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion remains strong: Wingstop opened 76 net new restaurants during the quarter, ending with 3,331 locations. Management also sees potential for as many as 1,000 restaurants in India, with an initial market entry planned for early 2027. Wingstop India expansion plans
• Positive Sentiment: Early stabilization signals: Domestic same-store sales declined 5.4%, but the decrease improved from the prior quarter. Management is revamping marketing, restaurant operations and its Club Wingstop loyalty program; members returned within 30 days at a rate 13 percentage points higher than nonmembers. Wingstop marketing strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and shareholder returns: Stephens reaffirmed an Overweight rating with a $200 target, while BTIG maintained Buy with a $265 target. Wingstop also declared a $0.33 quarterly dividend and repurchased 190,688 shares during the quarter.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions are divided: TD Cowen reiterated Hold with a $120 price target, highlighting uncertainty around the recovery. Other bullish targets imply substantial upside, but reflect expectations that sales trends will improve.
• Negative Sentiment: Sales outlook remains the key risk: Wingstop now expects 2026 domestic same-store sales to decline approximately 6.5% to 7.0%. Analysts caution that the stock may already reflect much of the earnings recovery and long-term expansion potential. Wingstop valuation and sales outlook

About Wingstop

Wingstop Inc is a franchised restaurant company specializing in cooked-to-order chicken wings and related menu items. Its offerings include classic and boneless wings prepared with a range of flavors, along with chicken sandwiches, tenders, fries, seasoned fries, dips, sides and beverages. The company emphasizes made-to-order food, a digital ordering experience and a menu centered on customizable chicken meals.

Founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, Wingstop has expanded from a single restaurant into a global brand operated primarily through franchised locations.

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