Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Upgraded to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Wingstop from a sell to a hold rating in a recent research note.
• Analysts’ consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of $337.29, while the stock recently opened around $187.79, showing a large gap between price and average target.
• Wingstop beat EPS estimates ($1.00 vs. $0.84) but slightly missed revenue expectations ($175.69M vs. $177.74M), and company insiders have recently sold material stakes in the stock.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on WING. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Wingstop in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup increased their target price on Wingstop from $267.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $285.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Wingstop from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on Wingstop from $320.00 to $310.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $337.29.

Wingstop Price Performance

WING stock opened at $187.79 on Friday. Wingstop has a 1-year low of $184.00 and a 1-year high of $388.14. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $248.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $252.45. The company has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.39, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.82.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 25.01% and a negative return on equity of 16.12%. The company had revenue of $175.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $177.74 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.92 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Wingstop will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of Wingstop 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 in the company, valued at approximately $673,465.59. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 4,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,093,750. This trade represents a 11.46% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Wingstop by 1,650.0% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its position 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 buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in Wingstop by 197.9% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Wingstop by 54.3% during the 3rd quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Wingstop by 75.7% in the fourth quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 188 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter.

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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