68,348 Shares in Wingstop Inc. $WING Bought by Candlestick Capital Management LP

Key Points

• Candlestick Capital Management LP established a new stake in Wingstop, buying 68,348 shares in Q3 worth roughly $17.2 million, about 0.25% of the company.
• Wingstop reported an EPS beat ($1.00 vs. $0.84) with revenue up 8.6% year‑over‑year but slightly under expectations, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share (0.6% yield; ex-dividend March 6).
• Analysts hold a consensus Moderate Buy rating with a $337.29 target, while insiders have recently sold shares, leaving insiders with about 0.72% ownership.

Candlestick Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 68,348 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $17,202,000. Candlestick Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.25% of Wingstop at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WING. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 1,650.0% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Wingstop by 54.3% in the 3rd quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wingstop in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Wingstop by 75.9% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 204 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in 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 in the last quarter.

Wingstop Price Performance

WING stock opened at $203.44 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.82. Wingstop Inc. has a 12 month low of $192.87 and a 12 month high of $388.14. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $255.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $256.81.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 25.01% and a negative return on equity of 16.12%. The firm had revenue of $175.69 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $177.74 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.92 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Wingstop Inc. will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Wingstop's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WING has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Loop Capital started coverage on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Friday, January 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $317.00 price target on the stock. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Monday, March 9th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Wingstop from $320.00 to $310.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Wingstop from $267.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $337.29.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was 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. This represents a 11.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.73, for a total value of $703,971.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,583 shares in the company, valued at approximately $673,465.59. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.72% of the company's stock.

Wingstop 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.

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