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Wingstop (WING)
NASDAQ:WING
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Wingstop (WING) AI Stock Analysis

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WING

Wingstop

(NASDAQ:WING)

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Neutral 60 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:60Neutral
Price Target:
$130.00
▼(-3.85% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:08/07/26
Overall score reflects strong underlying growth, profitability and cash generation, but meaningfully tempered by balance-sheet risk (deeply negative equity) and weak technical setup (price below key moving averages with negative MACD). The latest earnings call adds a mixed outlook: solid unit growth and shareholder returns, but downgraded/weak same-store sales trends weigh on near-term confidence.
Positive Factors
Franchise Unit Growth & Scale
Aggressive, repeatable unit growth under a franchise model drives recurring royalty and fee revenue while minimizing capital intensity. A large pipeline and stated push toward a >10,000-unit global footprint provide durable revenue leverage and long-term scale benefits for margins and brand penetration.
Negative Factors
Weak Balance Sheet / Negative Equity
Persistently negative equity raises financial fragility, complicates leverage assessment and reduces cushioning against downturns. Even with recent debt reduction, a compromised capital structure limits flexibility for sustained investments or shocks and raises refinancing and stakeholder risk over the medium term.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Franchise Unit Growth & Scale
Aggressive, repeatable unit growth under a franchise model drives recurring royalty and fee revenue while minimizing capital intensity. A large pipeline and stated push toward a >10,000-unit global footprint provide durable revenue leverage and long-term scale benefits for margins and brand penetration.
Read all positive factors

Wingstop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Segment
Revenue by Segment
Breaks revenue into parts like franchise royalties, company-owned store sales, and supply-chain income, showing which sources drive earnings. A larger share from steady franchise fees suggests predictable cash flow, while dependence on company-store sales increases exposure to store-level volatility and commodity costs.
Chart InsightsRoyalties and franchise-related advertising fees have been the fastest-growing revenue drivers, powered by aggressive unit growth and higher system sales, whereas company‑owned sales rise steadily but lag—implying Wingstop’s top-line expansion is more openings-driven than comp-driven. Management’s updated guidance admits near-term negative comps (weather/fuel headwinds) but stresses 15–16% unit growth, Smart Kitchen and loyalty pilots to restore frequency and AUV; investors should treat near-term margin/comp risk separately from durable franchise fee tailwinds tied to the pipeline.
Data provided by:The Fly

Wingstop (WING) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

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)
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% 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
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
Strong operating profile (revenue scaled from $283M in 2021 to $721M TTM with healthy operating/EBITDA margins and mid-teens net margin), supported by solid operating cash flow and meaningful free cash flow ($128M TTM). Offsetting this, the balance sheet is a major risk: deeply negative equity (about -$773M TTM) and prior leverage/capital-structure volatility, plus some cooling in profitability and free-cash-flow momentum in TTM versus the unusually strong 2025 level.
Income Statement
86
Very Positive
Balance Sheet
28
Negative
Cash Flow
63
Positive
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue720.72M696.85M625.81M460.06M357.52M282.50M
Gross Profit527.03M575.73M300.87M222.83M171.06M141.10M
EBITDA227.28M298.04M187.97M125.78M101.44M81.83M
Net Income116.41M174.27M108.72M70.17M52.95M42.66M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets657.99M693.41M716.25M377.82M424.19M249.20M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments127.45M238.71M315.91M90.22M184.50M48.58M
Total Debt1.27B1.27B1.27B732.51M716.43M471.84M
Total Liabilities1.43B1.43B1.39B835.19M815.05M558.73M
Stockholders Equity-772.99M-736.76M-675.59M-457.37M-390.86M-309.52M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow128.49M105.62M105.68M80.77M52.30M20.86M
Operating Cash Flow189.49M153.06M157.61M121.60M76.24M48.88M
Investing Cash Flow-70.31M-17.46M-62.48M-52.15M-28.68M-29.85M
Financing Cash Flow-220.96M-266.73M144.76M-155.49M103.25M-23.39M

Wingstop Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price135.20
Price Trends
50DMA
144.69
Negative
100DMA
151.14
Negative
200DMA
198.35
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-8.66
Positive
RSI
45.61
Neutral
STOCH
32.07
Neutral
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 above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 127.14, below the 50-day MA of 144.69, and below the 200-day MA of 198.35, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -8.66 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 45.61 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 32.07 is Neutral, 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

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
78
Outperform
$13.59B33.0827.56%1.48%9.89%-4.85%
65
Neutral
$11.61B19.56-15.15%2.24%5.16%2.13%
61
Neutral
$18.38B12.79-2.54%3.03%1.52%-15.83%
60
Neutral
$3.10B29.82-15.46%0.89%7.61%-29.71%
60
Neutral
$3.15B76.157.55%17.33%99.39%
52
Neutral
$1.65B13.09109.00%8.01%-0.98%-31.26%
46
Neutral
$804.28M29.95-6.17%6.06%-5.65%-64.96%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
WING
Wingstop
126.12
-208.03
-62.26%
DPZ
Domino's Pizza
346.27
-96.45
-21.79%
PZZA
Papa John's International
24.26
-21.10
-46.51%
TXRH
Texas Roadhouse
207.10
37.11
21.83%
WEN
Wendy's
8.64
-1.25
-12.61%
SHAK
Shake Shack
74.84
-32.11
-30.02%

Wingstop Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Wingstop Adds Independent Director to Strengthen Board Governance
Positive
Aug 6, 2026
On August 6, 2026, Wingstop Inc. expanded its Board of Directors from ten to eleven members and elected Jay Snowden as a Class II director, effective immediately, strengthening its governance structure. The Board determined Snowden is independent ...
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...
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.Date of analysis: Aug 07, 2026