Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-one research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation, twenty-two have issued a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $240.3333.

A number of research analysts have commented on WING shares. 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 note on Thursday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Wingstop from $280.00 to $240.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Wingstop in a report on Tuesday, July 14th.

Wingstop Price Performance

Shares of WING opened at $100.84 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $124.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.10. The stock has a market cap of $2.75 billion, a PE ratio of 23.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.79. Wingstop has a 1-year low of $100.13 and a 1-year high of $302.80.

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

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. Wingstop’s payout ratio is currently 31.35%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its position in 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 period. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new stake in shares of Wingstop during the second quarter worth $34,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Wingstop during the second quarter worth $46,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Wingstop during the second quarter worth $62,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Wingstop by 35.9% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 382 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter.

Wingstop Company Profile

Wingstop Inc is a fast-casual restaurant company specializing in cooked-to-order chicken wings and tenders. Its menu also includes fries, seasoned fries, dipping sauces, and beverages, with offerings built around a range of signature flavors and sauces. The company primarily operates through a franchise-based model.

Wingstop was founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, and has expanded from its original location into a global restaurant brand. Its restaurants serve customers across the United States and in international markets through a network of franchised and company-operated locations.

Wingstop became a publicly traded company in 2015.