Caxton Associates LLP Takes Position in Wingstop Inc. $WING

Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 17,360 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $2,690,000. Caxton Associates LLP owned approximately 0.06% of Wingstop at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Westpac Banking Corp increased its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 80.0% during the first quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 5,400 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $837,000 after acquiring an additional 2,400 shares in the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda America Inc raised its position in shares of Wingstop by 19.3% in the 1st quarter. Meiji Yasuda America Inc now owns 12,107 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,876,000 after purchasing an additional 1,959 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Wingstop by 17.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 356,292 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $55,216,000 after purchasing an additional 51,703 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its position in Wingstop by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 888 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $138,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Future Fund LLC grew its position in Wingstop by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. Future Fund LLC now owns 6,121 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $949,000 after purchasing an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on WING. Benchmark decreased their price target on shares of Wingstop from $320.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Wingstop in a report on Monday, March 30th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $275.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded Wingstop from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Wingstop from $264.00 to $234.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Wingstop from $280.00 to $240.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $255.81.

Wingstop Stock Up 0.3%

WING stock opened at $135.20 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $151.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.82. Wingstop Inc. has a 52-week low of $116.35 and a 52-week high of $381.45. The firm has a market cap of $3.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.63, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.79.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $183.72 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $187.82 million. Wingstop had a negative return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 15.77%.Wingstop’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.99 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Wingstop Inc. will post 4.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.85%.

Key Headlines Impacting Wingstop

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wingstop launched “Wingstop Wing Week,” expanding National Wing Day into a five-day event with free wings, Club Wingstop rewards, and live music giveaways, which could help boost customer traffic and brand engagement. Wingstop Expands Wing Day into Wing Week, Kicking Off a Broader $1 Million in Fan Experiences and Giveaways
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted Wingstop’s National Wing Day promotion expansion, reinforcing that the company is using limited-time offers and giveaways to drive consumer interest. Wingstop is turning National Wing Day into a full week with free wings and daily prize giveaways
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remained constructive overall, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating still in place, suggesting analysts remain generally optimistic about the stock’s outlook. Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its price target on Wingstop to $240 from $280, but kept an “outperform” rating, indicating confidence remains intact despite a reduced valuation target. The Fly
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson also cut its price target to $200 from $230 while maintaining a “buy” rating, which may reflect near-term caution but not a change in the firm’s positive view. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Wingstop announced a restaurant opening in Craigavon, supporting its ongoing expansion strategy, though the article did not indicate a material financial impact. US chicken chain Wingstop in Craigavon restaurant opening

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.