TD Cowen Cuts Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target to $120.00

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) had its price target trimmed by TD Cowen from $160.00 to $120.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a hold rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on WING. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Wingstop to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Wingstop from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $220.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Wingstop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $240.33.

Wingstop Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WING opened at $117.10 on Friday. Wingstop has a one year low of $105.43 and a one year high of $302.80. The company has a 50 day moving average of $126.93 and a 200-day moving average of $156.11. The stock has a market cap of $3.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.79.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 16.15% and a negative return on equity of 16.31%. The business had revenue of $185.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.00 earnings per share. Wingstop’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Wingstop will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, September 5th. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Wingstop during the 2nd quarter worth about $246,000. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 48.7% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 2,235 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $388,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares in the last quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 20.0% in the second quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP now owns 1,500,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $260,115,000 after purchasing an additional 250,000 shares in the last quarter. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in shares of Wingstop during the second quarter worth about $152,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its position in shares of Wingstop by 43.5% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 1,965 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $341,000 after buying an additional 596 shares during the period.

Trending Headlines about Wingstop

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop introduced its first-ever Wing Pass, offering customers a season-long promotion tied to football season. Reports that the initial offering sold out suggest strong consumer interest and could support traffic, brand engagement, and near-term sales. Wingstop sells out of first-ever Wing Pass offering incredible deal
• Positive Sentiment: The company also launched a limited-time Lemon Pepper Trio for football season. Seasonal menu innovation and marketing may help drive customer visits and same-store sales during a key promotional period. Wingstop kicks off football season with Lemon Pepper Trio
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts collectively maintain a “Moderate Buy” average rating, providing some support for the stock despite recent estimate and valuation concerns. Wingstop analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent market commentary noted that WING advanced even as the broader market weakened, indicating relative strength. However, this type of price action does not by itself establish a change in earnings fundamentals. Wingstop rises as market takes a dip
• Neutral Sentiment: The reported September short-interest figures show zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio, but the accompanying “NaN” change suggests the data may be incomplete or erroneous. Investors should not rely on it as a meaningful short-squeeze signal.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target from $160 to $120 and downgraded its stance to Hold, leaving only modest implied upside. The reduction signals weaker confidence in Wingstop’s valuation or growth outlook. Read More: Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: A recent valuation analysis said the stock is more reasonably valued after its decline but warned that fundamentals remain questionable, including concerns about growth durability and operating performance. Wingstop valuation improves but fundamentals are questionable

About Wingstop

Wingstop Inc is a fast-casual restaurant company specializing in cooked-to-order chicken wings and tenders. Its menu also includes fries, seasoned fries, dipping sauces, and beverages, with offerings built around a range of signature flavors and sauces. The company primarily operates through a franchise-based model.

Wingstop was founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, and has expanded from its original location into a global restaurant brand. Its restaurants serve customers across the United States and in international markets through a network of franchised and company-operated locations.

Wingstop became a publicly traded company in 2015.