Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Stock Price

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its target price lowered by equities researchers at Stifel Nicolaus from $325.00 to $250.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective indicates a potential upside of 61.85% from the stock’s previous close.

WING has been the topic of several other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Wingstop from $320.00 to $310.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 9th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on Wingstop in a research report on Friday, January 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Wingstop in a report on Monday, March 9th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $334.61.

Wingstop Stock Performance

WING stock opened at $154.46 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.22 billion, a PE ratio of 24.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.82. The company has a fifty day moving average of $237.67 and a 200-day moving average of $247.36. Wingstop has a one year low of $153.23 and a one year high of $388.14.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Wesley S. Mcdonald sold 566 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $141,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 2,700 shares of Wingstop 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 transaction, the director directly owned 2,583 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $673,465.59. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Wingstop by 175.7% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 521 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $124,000 after buying an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Wingstop by 32.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,220 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $529,000 after acquiring an additional 549 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased 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 valued at $1,417,000 after acquiring an additional 2,210 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in Wingstop during the 4th quarter valued at about $603,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Wingstop during the fourth quarter worth about $63,000.

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.