Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Upgraded at Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. Piper Sandler currently has $190.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock, down from their prior price target of $283.00.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on WING. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $375.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $320.00 to $310.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Wingstop from $267.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $335.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $285.00 target price 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 given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Wingstop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $320.24.

Wingstop Price Performance

NASDAQ WING opened at $152.51 on Thursday. Wingstop has a twelve month low of $142.24 and a twelve month high of $388.14. The stock has a market cap of $4.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.68, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 2.03. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $225.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $242.95.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $175.69 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $177.74 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.92 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Wingstop will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.42%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Wingstop news, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were 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 represents a 11.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 transaction of $703,971.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,583 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $673,465.59. The trade was a 51.11% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wingstop

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of WING. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 175.7% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 521 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Wingstop by 32.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,220 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $529,000 after buying an additional 549 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Wingstop by 59.2% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 5,940 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,417,000 after buying an additional 2,210 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Wingstop in the 4th quarter valued at $603,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Wingstop in the 4th quarter valued at $63,000.

Key Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded WING to “strong-buy” and set a $240 price target (lower than prior). The upgrade signals conviction among some sell‑side analysts that the stock is undervalued at current levels. Raymond James upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler upgraded WING from neutral to overweight with a $190 target and published commentary calling the pullback an “attractive entry point.” This supports a buyer narrative despite the lower target. Piper Sandler note
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage note: Guggenheim is cited as initiating/maintaining a Buy on Wingstop in press outlets, which provides some support from a major research shop. Guggenheim buy coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca‑Cola launched a cross‑chain ad campaign including Wingstop and a dozen other restaurant partners to boost beverage sales amid soft diner traffic — a potential marketing tailwind but not an immediate earnings driver. Coca‑Cola ad campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Wingstop set its fiscal Q1 2026 earnings release and webcast for April 29 — a near-term catalyst that could either calm or exacerbate volatility depending on results and guidance. Earnings date release
• Negative Sentiment: Guggenheim lowered its price target to $255 in a note picked up by outlets — a sign that even buy/hold research is trimming near‑term expectations. Guggenheim PT cut
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target to $225, another downgrade to target levels that pressures sentiment and raises questions about near‑term growth assumptions. Wells Fargo PT cut
• Negative Sentiment: News reports flagged an analyst downgrade that coincided with a ~6% intraday drop in the stock and commentary that the market is repricing risk — a clear near‑term negative for momentum. Analyst downgrade / price reaction

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.