BNP Paribas Exane Initiates Coverage on Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING)

Equities research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) in a research report issued on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm set an “outperform” rating and a $275.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s target price points to a potential upside of 77.45% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. Truist Financial set a $374.00 target price on Wingstop and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $285.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $335.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $328.93.

Wingstop Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WING opened at $154.97 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.23 billion, a PE ratio of 25.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.82. Wingstop has a 1 year low of $150.86 and a 1 year high of $388.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $232.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $245.22.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $177.74 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Wingstop will post 4.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Wingstop news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 $673,465.59. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of Wingstop stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $141,500.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,093,750. This trade represents a 11.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WING. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Wingstop during the first quarter worth approximately $256,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 2,770.6% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,952 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $440,000 after buying an additional 1,884 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $20,852,000 after buying an additional 4,937 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Wingstop by 121.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Wingstop by 45.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,387 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $467,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares in 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.