Darsana Capital Partners LP Has $260.12 Million Holdings in Wingstop Inc. $WING

Darsana Capital Partners LP increased its stake in shares of Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) by 20.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,500,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 250,000 shares during the period. Wingstop accounts for about 1.2% of Darsana Capital Partners LP’s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. Darsana Capital Partners LP owned about 5.51% of Wingstop worth $260,115,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WING. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Wingstop during the first quarter valued at approximately $256,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of Wingstop by 2,770.6% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,952 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $440,000 after buying an additional 1,884 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 5.6% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 92,439 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $20,852,000 after buying an additional 4,937 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Wingstop by 121.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Wingstop by 45.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,387 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $467,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the last quarter.

Wingstop Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ WING opened at $110.58 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $129.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $158.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.27, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.79. Wingstop Inc. has a one year low of $105.43 and a one year high of $302.80.

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. The firm had revenue of $185.56 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.25 million. Wingstop had a net margin of 16.15% and a negative return on equity of 16.31%. The business’s revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Wingstop Inc. will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wingstop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.33 per share. This is an increase from Wingstop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Wingstop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.35%.

Key Wingstop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Wingstop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New Wing Pass targets recurring customer visits. Wingstop is launching its first-ever Wing Pass on September 15, offering 18 weekly watch-party bundles for $27.99 to a limited group of 100 members. The promotion could increase order frequency, digital engagement and brand visibility during football season, although its initial financial contribution is likely to be limited. Wingstop Kicks Off Football Season with New Lemon Pepper Trio and Its First-Ever Wing Pass
• Positive Sentiment: New menu products support seasonal traffic. The company is introducing a Lemon Pepper Trio nationwide, adding Lemon Pepper Chili Crunch and Lemon Pepper Chili Glaze to its Original Lemon Pepper offering. Limited-time products and football-focused marketing may help drive comparable sales and customer trial. Wingstop Debuts Lemon Pepper Trio and Season-Long Wing Pass
• Neutral Sentiment: Market-relative performance was favorable, but no new financial data was provided. A Zacks report noted that WING finished the latest session higher even as the overall market weakened. The move appears sentiment-driven rather than tied to new earnings guidance or a material change in fundamentals. Wingstop Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: The promotions do not eliminate valuation and execution risks. WING remains well below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and close to its 1-year low. Investors will need evidence that the new offerings translate into sustained same-store sales growth; the company’s latest quarter showed revenue growth but revenue below analysts’ expectations.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Wingstop from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Benchmark lowered their target price on Wingstop from $285.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Wingstop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Wingstop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Wingstop from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $220.00 to $155.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Wingstop presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $241.81.

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.