Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Increases Stock Holdings in Wingstop Inc. $WING

Key Points

• Kornitzer Capital Management boosted its stake in Wingstop by 113.8%, owning 11,800 shares worth about $2.81 million after adding 6,280 shares in Q4.
• Wingstop cut its full‑year same‑store sales outlook citing consumer weakness and macro headwinds, which spurred a stock selloff and several analyst price‑target reductions.
• In Q1, Wingstop reported EPS of $1.18, beating estimates while revenue of $183.7M missed expectations, and the company declared a $0.30 quarterly dividend.

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS raised its stake in Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING - Free Report) by 113.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,800 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after purchasing an additional 6,280 shares during the quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS's holdings in Wingstop were worth $2,814,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 1,650.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 197.9% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its stake 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. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake 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 valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WING has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Mizuho decreased their price target on Wingstop from $320.00 to $310.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Truist Financial set a $374.00 price target on Wingstop and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Friday, March 27th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Wingstop in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Wingstop from $330.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Wingstop currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $283.79.

Key Headlines Impacting Wingstop

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Launched a new limited‑time flavor, "Citrus Mojo," aimed at driving traffic and same‑store sales recovery. Wingstop launches Citrus Mojo amid sales slump, eyes rebound
• Positive Sentiment: Continues unit expansion with a new Wingstop opening in Roseburg, reflecting long‑term growth strategy through franchised openings. Wingstop to open in Roseburg
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and industry coverage highlight Wingstop’s marketing evolution and long‑term unit economics as offsetting factors to current softness. A look at Wingstop’s marketing evolution and potential Wingstop Weathers Sales Decline with Eye Toward Long-Term Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings‑call recap notes management balancing rapid unit growth with near‑term sales pressure; investors remain focused on comps and margin trajectory. Wingstop Inc. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Company cut its full‑year same‑store sales outlook, citing "high levels of uncertainty" and consumer pressure — a primary driver of the selloff. Wingstop cuts FY same-store sales outlook on consumer pressure, 'high levels of uncertainty'
• Negative Sentiment: Management and press pointed to macro/geopolitical headwinds (Iran war) and higher gas prices weighing on customer traffic and sales. Wingstop saw its sales drop as company blames Iran war and high gas prices for customer decrease
• Negative Sentiment: Shares reacted to weak Q1 sales and the outlook cut, prompting coverage noting a slide in the stock and sector scrutiny. Wingstop Shares Slide on Outlook Cut, Weak 1Q Sales Wingstop’s Q1 hammered by weather, consumer pressures
• Negative Sentiment: Several sell‑side firms trimmed price targets after the quarter: BTIG cut to $305 (from $400), Wells Fargo to $200 (from $225) and RBC to $250 (from $275), keeping positive ratings but reducing near‑term valuation expectations. Wingstop NASDAQ: WING Price Target Cut to $305.00 by Analysts at BTIG Research RBC price target cut Wells Fargo price target cut
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary suggests the "chicken‑wing trade" is under pressure, increasing downside risk for growth‑at‑premium restaurant names like Wingstop. The chicken-wing trade keeps collapsing and Wall Street is left seeking a Wingstop bottom

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.73, for a total value of $703,971.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,583 shares of the company's stock, valued at $673,465.59. The trade was a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $141,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,093,750. This trade represents a 11.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Wingstop Stock Down 2.0%

NASDAQ WING opened at $160.73 on Friday. Wingstop Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $142.24 and a fifty-two week high of $388.14. The stock has a market cap of $4.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.87. The business has a fifty day moving average of $195.85 and a 200-day moving average of $233.61.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 15.77%.The company had revenue of $183.73 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $187.82 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.99 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Wingstop Inc. will post 4.57 EPS for the current year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Wingstop's payout ratio is 29.85%.

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.

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