Citigroup Cuts Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Price Target to $208.00

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING – Free Report) had its price objective lowered by Citigroup from $237.00 to $208.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Several other research firms have also recently commented on WING. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Wingstop from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $290.00 to $190.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Benchmark lowered their target price on Wingstop from $320.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Wingstop from $170.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America cut their price target on Wingstop from $264.00 to $234.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Wingstop from $255.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Wingstop currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $249.04. Wingstop Stock Performance Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. Wingstop had a net margin of 16.15% and a negative return on equity of 16.31%. The company had revenue of $185.56 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $190.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Wingstop will post 4.48 earnings per share for the current year. Wingstop Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, September 5th. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. This is an increase from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Wingstop’s payout ratio is 29.85%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wingstop Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its position in shares of Wingstop by 32.4% in the first quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 68,489 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $10,614,000 after acquiring an additional 16,764 shares during the last quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS raised its holdings in Wingstop by 113.8% during the fourth quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 11,800 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,814,000 after acquiring an additional 6,280 shares in the last quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Wingstop by 813.7% during the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 84,304 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $20,106,000 after purchasing an additional 75,077 shares during the last quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Wingstop by 472.3% during the fourth quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC now owns 9,534 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,274,000 after purchasing an additional 7,868 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Wingstop in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,502,000. Wingstop News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week: - Positive Sentiment: Wingstop’s second-quarter earnings topped expectations, with adjusted EPS of $1.18 versus the $1.02 consensus estimate. Revenue increased 6.5% year over year to $185.6 million, although it was below the $190.3 million forecast. Wingstop Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary - Positive Sentiment: Management reiterated its goal of 15% to 16% global unit growth, indicating continued confidence in the company’s long-term expansion strategy. Executives also said improved value messaging could help reignite customer traffic. Wingstop Believes Better Value Messaging Can Reignite Traffic - Positive Sentiment: Wingstop increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.33 per share, providing an annualized yield of approximately 1.0% and signaling continued shareholder-return support. - Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintained generally favorable ratings, including buy, outperform and overweight recommendations. Even after multiple target reductions, published targets remain substantially above the current trading level. - Neutral Sentiment: National Chicken Wing Day promotions, including free-wing offers and a $1 million prize campaign, could increase brand visibility and short-term customer visits, but the effect on lasting sales and profitability is uncertain. National Chicken Wing Day freebies and deals - Negative Sentiment: Domestic same-store sales declined for the fifth consecutive quarter. Wingstop now expects domestic same-store sales to fall 4% to 6% in 2026, a significant headwind to near-term revenue and earnings growth. Wingstop anticipates lower domestic same-store sales - Negative Sentiment: Several firms lowered their price targets, reflecting reduced sales expectations despite retaining positive ratings. The combination of weakening comparable sales, a revenue miss and still-elevated valuation is likely driving investor caution. 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. 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