Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Receives Hold Rating from TD Cowen

Key Points

• TD Cowen reiterated a Hold rating on Wingstop and kept its $160 price target, implying only modest upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but generally constructive: Wingstop has an average Moderate Buy rating and a consensus price target of $261.19, though several firms have recently cut their targets.
• Wingstop shares were down 6.9% to about $158.47 despite the company recently beating earnings expectations, reporting $1.18 EPS versus the $1.02 consensus estimate.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold" rating restated by analysts at TD Cowen in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $160.00 price objective on the restaurant operator's stock. TD Cowen's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 0.97% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Piper Sandler raised Wingstop from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $283.00 to $190.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Benchmark decreased their price target on shares of Wingstop from $320.00 to $285.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $325.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $255.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Wingstop in a report on Monday, March 30th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $261.19.

Wingstop Stock Down 6.9%

Shares of WING stock opened at $158.47 on Thursday. Wingstop has a 12-month low of $116.35 and a 12-month high of $381.45. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $150.91 and a 200-day moving average of $201.36. The company has a market capitalization of $4.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.79.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 net margin of 15.77% and a negative return on equity of 16.22%. The firm had revenue of $183.72 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $187.82 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Wingstop will post 4.57 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings 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 period. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased 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 buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC increased 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 buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Wingstop by 121.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Wingstop in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $63,000.

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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