Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target Cut to $165.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo cut Wingstop’s price target from $170 to $165 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, implying approximately 13.7% upside from the stock’s current price.
• Wingstop reported quarterly EPS of $1.18, above the $1.02 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 6.5% year over year to $185.56 million but fell short of the $190.25 million forecast.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $253.52, although weaker consumer spending and an expected 4%–6% decline in domestic same-store sales present risks.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $170.00 to $165.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's target price would indicate a potential upside of 13.71% from the stock's current price.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on WING. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Piper Sandler set a $173.00 price target on Wingstop in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings lowered Wingstop from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $255.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, BTIG Research cut their target price on Wingstop from $305.00 to $265.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. One investment 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wingstop has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $253.52.

Wingstop Trading Up 4.1%

Shares of WING stock opened at $145.11 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $152.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $189.66. The company has a market capitalization of $3.95 billion, a PE ratio of 35.83, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 15.77% and a negative return on equity of 16.22%. The firm had revenue of $185.56 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.00 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Wingstop will post 4.55 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wingstop

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WING. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Wingstop by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,111,089 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $503,475,000 after buying an additional 58,386 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Wingstop by 48.1% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,405,894 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $335,292,000 after acquiring an additional 456,861 shares in the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Wingstop by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,173,613 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $279,895,000 after acquiring an additional 70,224 shares in the last quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 296.2% in the 3rd quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 950,521 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $239,227,000 after acquiring an additional 710,621 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 798,616 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $123,761,000 after acquiring an additional 123,315 shares during the last quarter.

Key Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.18 per share, exceeding the $1.02 analyst consensus and improving from $1.00 a year earlier. Revenue rose 6.5% year over year to $185.56 million. Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal Second Quarter Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company added 102 net new restaurants during the quarter, producing 16% unit growth. Management reiterated its expectation for 15% to 16% global unit growth, supporting Wingstop’s long-term expansion story. Wingstop 2026 Growth Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating with a $200 price target, while BTIG maintained a “buy” rating despite reducing its target to $265 from $305. These targets imply substantial potential upside if traffic and sales recover. Analyst Ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop raised its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.33 per share, payable September 5 to shareholders of record August 15. The increase signals confidence in cash generation, although the indicated yield remains modest at roughly 0.9%.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said improved value messaging and promotional efforts, including National Chicken Wing Day offers and Wing Week, could help restore customer traffic. However, discounts may also pressure near-term margins. Wingstop Value Messaging
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell short of the $190.25 million consensus estimate, and management attributed weaker same-store sales to pressure on consumer spending. Consumer Spending Pressure
• Negative Sentiment: Wingstop anticipates a 4% to 6% decline in domestic same-store sales in 2026. This outlook overshadows the EPS beat because it suggests the core U.S. business may remain challenged even as new locations drive overall growth.

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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