Wall Street Zen Upgrades Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) to “Hold”

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

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $375.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on Wingstop in a research report on Friday, January 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research downgraded Wingstop from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $350.00 price target (down from $420.00) on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Wingstop from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.00.

Wingstop Price Performance

NASDAQ:WING opened at $271.39 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $7.54 billion, a PE ratio of 44.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 1.77. Wingstop has a fifty-two week low of $204.00 and a fifty-two week high of $388.14. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $255.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $276.52.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The restaurant operator reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.18. Wingstop had a net margin of 25.51% and a negative return on equity of 16.17%. The business had revenue of $175.74 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $189.10 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.88 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Wingstop will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Wingstop

In related news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.97, for a total transaction of $69,931.93. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 5,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,373,421.51. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WING. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Wingstop by 23.3% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,557,383 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $524,433,000 after purchasing an additional 294,786 shares in the last quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Wingstop during the third quarter worth $375,317,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Wingstop by 48.1% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,405,894 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $335,292,000 after buying an additional 456,861 shares during the period. Steadfast Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Wingstop by 296.2% in the 3rd quarter. Steadfast Capital Management LP now owns 950,521 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $239,227,000 after buying an additional 710,621 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Wingstop by 20.8% in the 3rd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 890,451 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $224,109,000 after buying an additional 153,082 shares in the last quarter.

More Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Melius Research upgraded Wingstop to a “Buy,” which can boost investor confidence and support the stock on valuation/earnings re‑rating. Melius Research Upgrades Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) to “Buy”
• Positive Sentiment: Limited‑time collaboration with PopUp Bagels launching a Wingstop‑inspired “Lemon Pepper Schmear” (available Jan. 29 while supplies last) extends the brand into morning occasions and creates cross‑channel buzz. Wingstop and PopUp Bagels Team Up on “Lemon Pepper Schmear” for Bold Flavor, All Day Long
• Positive Sentiment: New hot‑honey wing flavors and a limited sandwich rollout timed ahead of the Super Bowl aim to drive incremental same‑store sales and traffic during a peak eating occasion. Marketing tie‑ins around the game can lift near‑term comps. Wingstop unveils two new hot honey wing flavors ahead of Super Bowl
• Neutral Sentiment: Wingstop continues unit growth at the local level with a planned new location in Greenfield — a steady but small contributor to long‑term franchise expansion. Wingstop to open location in Greenfield
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and product reviews (hot‑honey sandwich reviews and analysis of the hot‑honey push and a new COO) highlight management strategy and customer reception; useful for sentiment but mixed on long‑term impact. Does Wingstop’s (WING) Hot Honey Push and New COO Reveal a Deeper Expansion Strategy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple lifestyle and food outlets covered the flavor launches and collaborations, reinforcing marketing reach; coverage supports short‑term awareness but is not a direct earnings driver. Wingstop Launches New Flavors Just In Time for the Super Bowl

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.