Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) Receives $241.81 Average Price Target from Analysts

Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, twenty-two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $241.8148.

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Wingstop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Wingstop from $255.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Wingstop from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Wingstop in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, BTIG Research cut their price objective on shares of Wingstop from $305.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th.

Wingstop Stock Up 1.6%

NASDAQ:WING opened at $115.43 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $142.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $172.02. The stock has a market cap of $3.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.42, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.81. Wingstop has a 52 week low of $110.44 and a 52 week high of $342.10.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.31% and a net margin of 16.15%.The business had revenue of $185.56 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.00 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Wingstop will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, September 5th. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.35%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wingstop

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WING. Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Wingstop in the 1st quarter valued at about $256,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in shares of Wingstop by 2,770.6% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,952 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $440,000 after purchasing an additional 1,884 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Wingstop by 5.6% in 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 in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Wingstop by 121.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Wingstop by 45.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,387 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $467,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares in the last quarter.

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.