Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Stock Price Down 9.1% on Insider Selling

Shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) were down 9.1% during trading on Monday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $235.00 and last traded at $235.9790. Approximately 522,466 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 38% from the average daily volume of 843,715 shares. The stock had previously closed at $259.51.

Specifically, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.73, for a total value of $703,971.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,583 shares in the company, valued at approximately $673,465.59. The trade was a 51.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $141,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,093,750. This represents a 11.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Wingstop in a report on Monday, December 29th. Loop Capital started coverage on Wingstop in a research report on Friday, January 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price target for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $285.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $375.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Wingstop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $336.07.

Wingstop Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $6.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.82. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $260.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $262.45.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 25.01% and a negative return on equity of 16.12%. The business had revenue of $175.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $177.74 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. Wingstop’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Wingstop Inc. will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors 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 of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.42%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 1,650.0% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Wingstop by 4,200.0% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 129 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 54.3% in the 3rd quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 197.9% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 143 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter.

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.