Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Given New $245.00 Price Target at Benchmark

Key Points

• Benchmark lowered Wingstop’s price target from $285 to $245 while maintaining a “Buy” rating, implying approximately 82.9% upside from the reported share price of $133.96.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $249.04, although several firms—including Goldman Sachs and Barclays—also reduced their targets or ratings.
• Wingstop beat quarterly earnings expectations with $1.18 in adjusted EPS versus $1.02 expected, but revenue of $185.6 million fell short of estimates and management expects domestic same-store sales to decline 4%–6% in 2026.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by equities research analysts at Benchmark from $285.00 to $245.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Benchmark's price objective indicates a potential upside of 82.89% from the stock's current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Wingstop from $170.00 to $165.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Wingstop from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their target price for the company from $290.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays reduced their target price on Wingstop from $330.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BTIG Research decreased their price target on Wingstop from $305.00 to $265.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Wingstop from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $249.04.

Wingstop Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WING traded down $5.49 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $133.96. The stock had a trading volume of 1,465,440 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,159,653. The business's fifty day moving average is $152.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $189.66. The company has a market cap of $3.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.25, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.79. Wingstop has a twelve month low of $116.35 and a twelve month high of $381.45.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $185.56 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. Wingstop had a net margin of 15.77% and a negative return on equity of 16.22%. The business's revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its stake 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 valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its stake in 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 last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Wingstop by 75.7% during the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 188 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Wingstop during the 2nd quarter worth $46,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Wingstop by 121.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter.

Key Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop reported fiscal second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.18 per share, exceeding the $1.02 consensus estimate and improving from $1.00 a year earlier. Revenue increased 6.5% year over year to $185.6 million. Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal Second Quarter Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion remains strong: Wingstop opened 102 net new locations during the quarter, representing approximately 16% unit growth. Management continues to emphasize long-term global growth, with a 15% to 16% unit-growth target. Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal Second Quarter Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms retained bullish views. Citi, RBC, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and BTIG still rate WING Buy, Outperform or Overweight, while Stephens reaffirmed its Overweight rating. Their revised targets remain well above the recent share price, although all of the updated targets were lowered.
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.33 per share, signaling confidence in cash generation and modestly improving shareholder returns. The ex-dividend date is August 14, 2026.
• Negative Sentiment: Management now expects domestic same-store sales to decline 4% to 6% in 2026. Executives attributed the weakness to pressure on consumer spending and said improved value messaging will be needed to rebuild traffic. Wingstop anticipates 2026 domestic same-store sales decline
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue of $185.6 million missed analysts’ $190.3 million estimate, highlighting weaker-than-expected operating momentum despite the earnings beat. Analysts’ widespread price-target reductions suggest expectations are being reset around slower near-term sales growth.

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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