Barclays Cuts Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target to $330.00

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its price target cut by Barclays from $335.00 to $330.00 in a research report report published on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on WING. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Wingstop from $290.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Loop Capital began coverage on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Friday, January 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $295.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $363.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Wingstop from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $336.07.

Wingstop Stock Performance

WING stock opened at $260.89 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $260.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $266.84. The company has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.80. Wingstop has a 52-week low of $204.00 and a 52-week high of $388.14.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $175.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $177.74 million. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.12% and a net margin of 25.01%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.92 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Wingstop’s payout ratio is presently 19.42%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Wingstop

In other news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.97, for a total transaction of $69,931.93. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 5,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,373,421.51. This trade represents a 4.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wingstop

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Wingstop in the first quarter worth $256,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 2,770.6% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,952 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $440,000 after acquiring an additional 1,884 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Wingstop by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 92,439 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $20,852,000 after acquiring an additional 4,937 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Wingstop by 121.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Wingstop by 45.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,387 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $467,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares during the period.

More Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and constructive guidance — Wingstop reported stronger-than-expected EPS and improved adjusted EBITDA margins, and management guided to low-single-digit domestic comps and ~15% global unit growth, which supports an earnings acceleration thesis. Investors Have WING. Do They Need a Prayer?
• Positive Sentiment: Unit growth & tech-led off-premise gains — Wingstop added ~20% more stores year-over-year and highlighted Smart Kitchen (AI order prioritization) and ~75% digital growth as levers to boost AUVs and operating leverage as comps recover. After Rare Sales Decline, Wingstop Targets AI Kitchens, Loyalty, and Marketing to Reignite Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and institutional buying — Aggressive buybacks (reducing share count ~4–5% in Q4) plus a modest dividend and heavy institutional ownership / buying provide technical and capital-return support that can amplify rallies and prompt short-covering. Investors Have WING. Do They Need a Prayer?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst moves are mixed — Several firms reaffirm or raise targets (Stephens, BTIG) while others trimmed targets modestly (RBC, Barclays) but many still show sizable upside, producing divergent near-term sentiment despite broader bullish coverage. Analyst Ratings and Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Street reaction shows caution — TD Cowen reiterated a Hold, reflecting a wait-and-see stance despite the beat; the market is sorting whether growth will be comp-led or unit-led. TD Cowen Reiterates Hold for Wingstop
• Negative Sentiment: Comp pressure and rising competition — Wingstop reported its first annual same-store sales decline in decades; analysts warn competition (the “fried chicken” arms race and other chains) and commoditization of customization could limit pricing power and premium multiples. Wingstop Reports First Same-Store Annual Sales Decline in 22 Years
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee execution & capital allocation critique — Short reports and some sell-side commentary point to weaker franchisee performance, heavy reliance on new-unit openings for growth, and most FCF being returned to buybacks/dividends rather than reinvested in operations — risks to sustainable comp recovery. Losing Patience With Poor Franchisee Performance
• Negative Sentiment: Broader macro/traffic headwinds — Coverage notes winter storms and weaker traffic trends pressured Q4 comps; management actions (loyalty, marketing, AI kitchens) aim to offset but execution risk remains. How Wingstop plans to weather traffic slides and winter storms

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.