Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.16 EPS

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.16, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $175.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $177.74 million. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.17% and a net margin of 25.51%.Wingstop’s revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.92 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Wingstop’s conference call:

• Company completed rollout of the Wingstop Smart Kitchen across all domestic restaurants, with roughly 50% of locations averaging 10‑minute ticket times and delivery times down ~15% year‑over‑year, providing early proof points for increased frequency and lunch transactions.
• “Club Wingstop” loyalty pilot showed strong early traction—nearly 50% of active guests enrolled, frequency up ~7% for members and >30% of new guests signing up—leading to a planned national launch at end of Q2 2026 and an expected contribution toward the $3M AUV target.
• Despite system‑wide sales growth, same‑store sales fell 3% in 2025 (the first decline in 22 years) with Q4 domestic comps down 5.8%; management expects a choppy consumer backdrop and is guiding 2026 comps to flat to low single‑digit growth.
• Development and financial momentum remain strong: 493 restaurants opened in 2025, system sales topped $5B, ~2,300 restaurant commitments provide visibility to mid‑teens (~15–16%) global unit growth in 2026, and Adjusted EBITDA is targeted to grow ~15% while continuing dividends and share repurchases.

Wingstop Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WING traded down $9.84 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $269.24. 165,370 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 749,377. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $259.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $268.00. The company has a market cap of $7.48 billion, a PE ratio of 43.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.80. Wingstop has a twelve month low of $204.00 and a twelve month high of $388.14.

Wingstop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.54%.

Insider Transactions at Wingstop

In other Wingstop news, Director Kilandigalu Madati sold 269 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.97, for a total value of $69,931.93. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 5,283 shares in the company, valued at $1,373,421.51. This represents a 4.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Wingstop by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,180 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $520,000 after buying an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Wingstop by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 959 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wingstop in the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in Wingstop in the 4th quarter valued at $323,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Wingstop in the 4th quarter valued at $140,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on WING. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Wingstop from $345.00 to $280.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of Wingstop in a research note on Thursday. Loop Capital assumed coverage on Wingstop in a report on Friday, January 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Wingstop from $363.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Wingstop in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $337.32.

Key Stories Impacting Wingstop

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and upbeat guidance — Wingstop reported $1.00 EPS vs. $0.84 expected, showed strong margin improvement (adjusted EBITDA lift), and issued 2026 targets that signal accelerating store growth and modest domestic comps. PR Newswire – Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Unit expansion and tech initiatives — 493 net new openings in 2025, international expansion and emphasis on AI-powered “Smart Kitchen” tools and loyalty/digital initiatives that boost off‑premise efficiency and revenue mix. QSR Magazine – AI Kitchens & Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness and price-target lifts — Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” with a $375 PT and BTIG reiterated a “buy” with a $400 PT, helping push sentiment and justify upside expectations. TickerReport – Stephens Benzinga – BTIG note
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns — management continues buybacks that materially reduced share count in Q4/fiscal 2025 and declared a modest quarterly dividend, supporting EPS accretion and investor confidence. MarketBeat – Capital Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views persist — TD Cowen kept a “hold” rating with a $285 PT, underscoring some caution despite upgrades from others. The Fly – TD Cowen
• Neutral Sentiment: Volatility/positioning factors — elevated short interest and pre-earnings positioning likely amplified the move (short covering/options flows), making near-term swings larger than fundamentals alone. QuiverQuant – Volatility Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Same-store sales pressure — Wingstop reported its first full-year same-store sales decline in 22 years and revenue slightly missed estimates, a clear headwind for near-term domestic growth. Franchise Times – Comp Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Franchisee performance concerns — analysts/commentary flagged execution issues with some franchisees and a Seeking Alpha piece outlined a rating downgrade tied to franchisee underperformance, which could pressure comps if unresolved. Seeking Alpha – Franchisee Concerns

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.