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Wingstop
(NASDAQ:WING)
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Rating:60Neutral
Price Target:
$142.00
▲(5.03% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:07/29/26
The score is primarily driven by strong profitability and cash flow, but materially offset by balance-sheet weakness (deeply negative equity). Technicals are notably bearish with the stock below all major moving averages, while valuation appears demanding (P/E ~33) given near-term same-store sales guidance declines; the earnings call adds a mixed but slightly supportive backdrop due to unit-growth momentum and shareholder returns despite comp pressure.
Positive Factors
Franchised unit growth
Sustained double-digit net new unit growth drives recurring royalty and franchise-fee streams that compound over time. A large development pipeline supports scale economics, expands brand reach, and underpins long-term revenue visibility independent of short-term comp noise.
Negative Factors
Deeply negative equity
Materially negative equity constrains balance-sheet flexibility, raises stakeholder scrutiny, and can limit strategic optionality. Even with lower debt, negative equity heightens risk of covenant pressure, reduces buffer for shocks, and may impair long-term financing options.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Franchised unit growth
Sustained double-digit net new unit growth drives recurring royalty and franchise-fee streams that compound over time. A large development pipeline supports scale economics, expands brand reach, and underpins long-term revenue visibility independent of short-term comp noise.
Read all positive factors
Wingstop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Any
Revenue by Segment
Breaks down revenue into streams such as franchising/royalties, company-owned store sales, and other sources, revealing the quality and stability of earnings and whether growth is driven by capital-light franchising or higher-investment company operations.
Breaks down revenue into streams such as franchising/royalties, company-owned store sales, and other sources, revealing the quality and stability of earnings and whether growth is driven by capital-light franchising or higher-investment company operations.
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The Fly
The FlyWingstop (WING) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$3.67B
Dividend Yield0.86%
Average Volume (3M)1.08M
Price to Earnings (P/E)33.4
Beta (1Y)1.32
Revenue Growth7.61%
EPS Growth-29.71%
CountryUS
Employees1,367
SectorConsumer Cyclical
Sector Strength84
IndustryRestaurants
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)4.04
Shares Outstanding27,232,553
10 Day Avg. Volume1,011,666
30 Day Avg. Volume1,075,515
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.61
Price to Book (P/B)-9.73
Price to Sales (P/S)10.28
P/FCF Ratio67.85
Enterprise Value/Market Cap<0.01
Enterprise Value/Revenue<0.01
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit<0.01
Enterprise Value/Ebitda<0.01
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$203.88Price Target Upside50.80% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering18
EPS Forecast (FY)4.55
Revenue Forecast (FY)$777.77M
Wingstop Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Wingstop Inc., together with its affiliated companies, manages and licenses a network of restaurants known by the Wingstop brand. These establishments are recognized for their made-to-order offerings, including classic bone-in wings, boneless wing...
How the Company Makes Money
Wingstop primarily makes money through a franchised restaurant model, generating revenue and earnings from franchisees and, to a lesser extent, from company-owned restaurants. Key revenue streams include: (1) Franchise royalties: ongoing fees paid...
Wingstop Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Jul 29, 2026
(Q2-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Nov 04, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The call presented a mixed picture: strong underlying unit growth, margin and profitability improvements, successful early traction with Club Wingstop, and measurable operational gains from Smart Kitchen contrasted with a material same-store sales decline (7.5% in Q2) and near-term pressure concentrated in lower‑income, urban trade areas. Management emphasized targeted value messaging, loyalty and operational execution to stabilize comps while maintaining aggressive unit development and shareholder returns. Near-term trends and guidance were downgraded on comps, but cash flow, earnings growth, and development momentum support confidence in the long‑term strategy.Positive Updates
System-wide Sales Growth
System-wide sales grew 5.3% to approximately $1.4 billion in Q2 2026, driven by continued net new restaurant openings across the system.
Negative Updates
Same-Store Sales Decline
Company reported a significant same-store sales decline of 7.5% in Q2 2026 and updated domestic same-store sales guidance to a decline of 4%–6% for the full year, reflecting pressure on core guests.
Read all updates
Q2-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
System-wide Sales Growth
System-wide sales grew 5.3% to approximately $1.4 billion in Q2 2026, driven by continued net new restaurant openings across the system.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
The company updated full‑year guidance and capital plans: domestic same‑store sales are now expected to decline 4%–6% for FY2026, while global unit growth is reiterated at 15%–16% (with Q4 the largest quarter of net openings); SG&A is guided to $140–143 million and stock‑based compensation to ~ $24 million. Management expects to close a ~$32 million acquisition of 13 restaurants in Q3 (adding ~ $7 million of revenue and ~$1 million of adjusted EBITDA for the remainder of 2026, net of royalties), said full‑year adjusted EBITDA can still imply double‑digit growth based on the guidance shape, raised the quarterly dividend from $0.30 to $0.33 per share, repurchased 374,000 shares for $78.5 million year‑to‑date and has ~ $313 million remaining on the buyback authorization, and reaffirmed the long‑term unit economics and scale opportunity toward a >10,000‑unit global footprint.Wingstop Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
84
Very Positive
Balance Sheet
28
Negative
Cash Flow
81
Very Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 709.48M | 696.85M | 625.81M | 460.06M | 357.52M | 282.50M |
| Gross Profit | 585.86M | 575.73M | 300.87M | 222.83M | 171.06M | 141.10M |
| EBITDA | 216.89M | 298.04M | 187.97M | 125.78M | 101.44M | 81.83M |
| Net Income | 111.88M | 174.27M | 108.72M | 70.17M | 52.95M | 42.66M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 648.89M | 693.41M | 716.25M | 377.82M | 424.19M | 249.20M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 128.82M | 238.71M | 315.91M | 90.22M | 184.50M | 48.58M |
| Total Debt | 1.27B | 1.33B | 1.27B | 732.51M | 716.43M | 471.84M |
| Total Liabilities | 1.45B | 1.43B | 1.39B | 835.19M | 815.05M | 558.73M |
| Stockholders Equity | -799.17M | -736.76M | -675.59M | -457.37M | -390.86M | -309.52M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 132.01M | 105.62M | 105.68M | 80.77M | 52.30M | 20.86M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 189.15M | 153.06M | 157.61M | 121.60M | 76.24M | 48.88M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -75.68M | -17.46M | -62.48M | -52.15M | -28.68M | -29.85M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -221.79M | -266.73M | 144.76M | -155.49M | 103.25M | -23.39M |
Wingstop Technical Analysis
Negative
135.20
Price Trends
150.37
Negative
161.20
Negative
206.89
Negative
Market Momentum
-5.89
Positive
35.47
Neutral
10.40
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For WING, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 135.2 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 149.52, below the 50-day MA of 150.37, and below the 200-day MA of 206.89, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -5.89 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 35.47 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 10.40 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for WING.
Wingstop Risk Analysis
Wingstop disclosed 74 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Wingstop reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Wingstop Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
77 Outperform | $13.46B | 32.66 | 28.21% | 1.48% | 10.25% | -3.61% | |
65 Neutral | $11.60B | 19.80 | -15.15% | 2.24% | 5.16% | 2.13% | |
61 Neutral | $18.38B | 12.79 | -2.54% | 3.03% | 1.52% | -15.83% | |
60 Neutral | $3.67B | 33.38 | -15.30% | 0.89% | 7.61% | -29.71% | |
55 Neutral | $1.46B | 9.83 | 130.59% | 8.01% | -1.84% | -17.48% | |
51 Neutral | $2.70B | 61.79 | 8.02% | ― | 16.22% | 228.81% | |
50 Neutral | $1.02B | 36.90 | -6.47% | 6.06% | -2.41% | -64.77% |
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
WING
Wingstop
139.45
-226.60
-61.90%
DPZ
Domino's Pizza
360.00
-106.39
-22.81%
PZZA
Papa John's International
30.59
-10.82
-26.13%
TXRH
Texas Roadhouse
209.16
24.87
13.49%
WEN
Wendy's
7.65
-1.80
-19.02%
SHAK
Shake Shack
63.05
-77.86
-55.26%
Wingstop Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Wingstop Declares Dividend and Strengthens Legal Leadership
Positive
Jul 29, 2026
In the fiscal second quarter ended June 27, 2026, Wingstop Inc. reported system-wide sales of $1.4 billion, up 5.3% year on year, and total revenue of $185.6 million, a 6.4% increase from Q2 2025, driven by net new franchise openings and higher ad...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Wingstop Shareholders Approve Governance and Bylaw Amendments
Positive
May 22, 2026
At its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on May 21, 2026, Wingstop shareholders approved an amendment to the company’s Certificate of Incorporation granting the Board of Directors explicit authority to adopt, amend or repeal the compa...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Wingstop Declares Dividend and Expands Share Repurchase Program
Positive
Apr 29, 2026
In its fiscal first quarter ended March 28, 2026, Wingstop Inc. reported system-wide sales of $1.4 billion, up 5.9% year on year, supported by 97 net new openings and 17% unit growth, despite an 8.7% decline in domestic same-store sales driven by ...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.