Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target to $165.00

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its target price dropped by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $170.00 to $165.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 13.71% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on WING. Bank of America decreased their target price on Wingstop from $264.00 to $234.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Wingstop from $280.00 to $240.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $255.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on Wingstop from $229.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.52.

Wingstop Stock Performance

Wingstop stock opened at $145.11 on Thursday. Wingstop has a 1 year low of $116.35 and a 1 year high of $381.45. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $152.29 and its 200-day moving average is $189.66. The company has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.83, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.79.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced 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 business had revenue of $185.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. Wingstop had a net margin of 15.77% and a negative return on equity of 16.22%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.00 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Wingstop will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vident Advisory LLC raised its stake in Wingstop by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 959 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $229,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership raised its stake in shares of Wingstop by 10.1% during the fourth quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 426 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $102,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Wingstop by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,628 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $627,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in Wingstop by 1.1% in the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 5,672 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $879,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew 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 in 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.

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.