Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Upgraded by Robert W. Baird to Strong-Buy Rating

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on WING. Barclays decreased their price target on Wingstop from $330.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. BTIG Research reduced their target price on Wingstop from $305.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Benchmark decreased their target price on shares of Wingstop from $285.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Wingstop from $170.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Wingstop from $255.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $241.81.

Wingstop Trading Down 2.6%

Shares of WING stock opened at $113.85 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.81. The business’s 50 day moving average is $140.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.05. Wingstop has a twelve month low of $110.44 and a twelve month high of $342.10.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $185.56 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $190.25 million. Wingstop had a net margin of 16.15% and a negative return on equity of 16.31%. Wingstop’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.00 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Wingstop will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. This is a positive change from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.35%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted 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 worth $33,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC increased 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 valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new position in Wingstop during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Wingstop in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $63,000.

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.