Wells Fargo & Company Lowers Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target to $225.00

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its target price dropped by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $330.00 to $225.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 55.31% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on WING. Barclays dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $335.00 to $330.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 19th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of Wingstop in a report on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $275.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $335.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Wingstop from $350.00 to $340.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $326.86.

Wingstop Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WING opened at $144.87 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $3.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.44, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 2.03. Wingstop has a 1 year low of $144.68 and a 1 year high of $388.14. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $230.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $244.51.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.16. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.12% and a net margin of 25.01%.The firm had revenue of $175.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $177.74 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Wingstop will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the director 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Wingstop

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Wingstop in the 1st quarter worth approximately $256,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised 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 in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Wingstop by 5.6% during the first 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 acquiring an additional 4,937 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Wingstop by 121.4% in the first 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Wingstop by 45.5% in the second 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 in the last quarter.

Key Stories Impacting Wingstop

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New openings and international growth continue: Wingstop opened a downtown Spokane location and the UK&I business opened a second site in Reading, supporting long‑term unit growth and franchise revenue potential. Spokane opening Reading opening
• Positive Sentiment: Positive media and marketing momentum: features highlighting Wingstop’s brand strength and reasons to own the stock, plus coverage of influencer-driven marketing in Australia, bolster the growth narrative and customer demand outlook. 3 Big Reasons to Love Wingstop Aussie influencers
• Neutral Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage, which can add liquidity and attention but its near-term impact depends on the stance and modeling in the report. BNP Paribas Exane initiation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are reworking expectations: coverage pieces note a shifting investment story as Street models are adjusted; this signals uncertainty but also a reset that could set up clearer targets. Investment story shifting
• Negative Sentiment: Price-target cuts from major firms pressured sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its target from $330 to $225 (still overweight), and Guggenheim lowered its target from $315 to $255 (still a buy). Lower targets signal reduced near‑term growth expectations and likely contributed to selling pressure. Wells Fargo trim Guggenheim note
• Negative Sentiment: Shares sold off into the session and hit near‑term lows on higher-than-average volume, amplifying downside pressure as traders reacted to the analyst moves and reset expectations. Zacks: stock sinks

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.