Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the thirty-four ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation, twenty-six have assigned a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $282.4138.

A number of research firms recently commented on WING. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $230.00 to $229.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $275.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $255.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Wingstop in a report on Monday, March 9th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Wingstop from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st.

Wingstop Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WING opened at $129.67 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $189.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $231.16. Wingstop has a 52 week low of $129.31 and a 52 week high of $388.14. The company has a market capitalization of $3.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.86.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $183.73 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $187.82 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.99 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Wingstop's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Wingstop news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of the company's 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 sale, the director owned 2,583 shares of the company's stock, valued at $673,465.59. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director directly owned 4,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,093,750. The trade was a 11.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WING. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Wingstop by 76.9% during the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 138 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in Wingstop by 197.9% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Wingstop by 54.3% during the third quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Wingstop by 75.7% during the fourth quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 188 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing 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.

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