Wing.O
Wingstop Inc operates as a quick-service restaurant company specializing in chicken wings, generating revenue through franchise fees and royalties from its global network of locations.
Business. Wingstop Inc operates as a quick-service restaurant company specializing in chicken wings, generating revenue through franchise fees and royalties from its global network of locations.
At a glance
What drives this business
The watch-list the newsroom runs for this company — derived from its sector path, sharpened layer by layer. Not investment advice.
News & coverage
0Sector rotation
Developing storylines
Analysis
AI analysisOpportunity
Upcoming catalysts
Scheduled public events. Informational only — not investment advice.
- Company
- EarningsQ3 2026 earnings (expected)2026-10-28 · estimated
- Macro
- Rate decisionBank of England rate decision (press conf.)2026-08-06 · GB
- Rate decisionReserve Bank of Australia rate decision (press conf.)2026-08-12 · AU
- Rate decisionNorges Bank rate decision (press conf.)2026-08-20 · NO
- Rate decisionSveriges Riksbank rate decision (press conf.)2026-09-03 · SE
- Rate decisionBank of Canada rate decision (press conf.)2026-09-09 · CA
- Rate decisionEuropean Central Bank rate decision (press conf.)2026-09-10 · EU
- Macro & political
- ElectionSE Swedish Election2026-09-14 · SE
- ElectionUS U.S. Midterms2026-11-03 · US
- ElectionFR French Legislative2027-06-01 · FR
Pre-earnings brief
Signals & dispatch
Composite-score breakdown
Synthesis
Wingstop Inc operates as a quick-service restaurant company specializing in chicken wings, generating revenue through franchise fees and royalties from its global network of locations.
Wingstop Inc maintains a capital structure characterized by significant leverage and negative shareholders' equity. Total liabilities stand at $1.43 billion against total assets of $693 million, resulting in negative total equity of -$737 million. Long-term debt comprises $1.21 billion of the liability base. The company holds $197 million in cash and equivalents, but net cash is negative after subtracting total debt, indicating a reliance on debt financing. The debt-to-equity ratio is -1.64, reflecting the negative equity position. Return on assets is 0.25, suggesting efficient asset utilization despite the leveraged balance sheet.
Profitability metrics show strong operational performance relative to the asset base. Net income is $174 million on revenue of $697 million, yielding a net margin of approximately 25%. Operating income is $179 million, indicating healthy operating leverage. Return on equity is -0.24, which is a mathematical artifact of the negative equity base rather than a sign of operational loss. The company generates $153 million in operating cash flow, which exceeds its capital expenditure of $47 million, resulting in positive free cash flow. This cash generation supports debt servicing and potential share repurchases or acquisitions.
Revenue concentration and geographic exposure are not detailed in the provided segment data. However, the presence of subsidiaries in the UK, Singapore, and Canada indicates international operations. The core business remains focused on the quick-service restaurant sector, with revenue derived from franchise models. The lack of specific segment breakdown limits the ability to assess concentration risk within specific product lines or regions.
Growth trajectory analysis is constrained by the absence of historical period data. The current financial snapshot shows a robust revenue base of $697 million. Without multi-year historical data, it is not possible to calculate year-over-year growth rates or assess the consistency of revenue expansion. The current profitability levels suggest a mature business model with established cash flows.
Risk factors include medium liquidity risk and low dilution risk. The key flag notes that net cash is negative after subtracting total debt, highlighting refinancing risk. The negative equity position increases financial fragility in the event of a downturn. Dilution risk is assessed as low, with basic and diluted shares outstanding being identical at 27.5 million, indicating no significant options or convertible securities currently impacting share count.
Recent events include the identification of various subsidiaries such as Wingstop Funding LLC, Wingstop Beverages Inc, and international entities in the UK, Singapore, and Canada. These filings confirm the corporate structure and international footprint. No significant news events or transcript observations are available to provide additional context on recent strategic initiatives or market sentiment.
- Wingstop generates $697 million in revenue with $174 million in net income, demonstrating strong profitability.
- The company has negative equity of -$737 million due to $1.21 billion in long-term debt.
- Operating cash flow of $153 million exceeds capital expenditures of $47 million, providing positive free cash flow.
- Dilution risk is low with no difference between basic and diluted shares outstanding.
- Liquidity risk is medium due to negative net cash position after debt subtraction.
- International subsidiaries indicate global expansion, though specific geographic revenue splits are unavailable.
Bull / Bear case
analysis pipelineIn focus — financials by report
Valuation
Revenue by segment
Business relationships
Supply chain
Peer comparison
Market position
Stress test
Predictor forecast
| Metric | Our forecast | Guidance | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPS | —no estimate | —no estimate | 4,47 |
| Revenue | —no estimate | —no estimate | 768,2M USD |
| Operating income | —no estimate | —no estimate | 209,5M USD |
Options
Short squeeze
Earnings-call key lines
Consensus distribution
sell-side coverageEstimate revisions
consensus EPS · 26-week trendSell-side observations
Themes
ESG
Risk factors
- Net cash is negative after subtracting total debt.
Benchmarks vs cohort
Corporate actions / M&A
FX exposure
Comparable transactions
Derivatives & instruments
Derivative transactions
- SVP, Chief Operating Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 353exercise · 2026-05-01
- Chief Brand & People Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 571exercise · 2026-03-09
- Senior Vice President · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 571exercise · 2026-03-09
- Director, President and CEO · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 3 481exercise · 2026-03-09
- SVP General Counsel, Secretary · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 571exercise · 2026-03-09
- SVP, Chief Financial Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 571exercise · 2026-03-09
- SVP General Counsel, Secretary · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 366exercise · 2026-03-07
- Director, President and CEO · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 2 384exercise · 2026-03-07
- SVP, Chief Information Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 225exercise · 2026-03-07
- Senior Vice President · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 366exercise · 2026-03-07
- SVP, Chief Operating Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 366exercise · 2026-03-07
- Chief Brand & People Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 366exercise · 2026-03-07
- SVP, Chief Financial Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 438exercise · 2026-03-07
- Senior Vice President · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 681exercise · 2026-03-06
- Chief Brand & People Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 681exercise · 2026-03-06
- SVP, Chief Financial Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 886exercise · 2026-03-06
- Director, President and CEO · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 4 636exercise · 2026-03-06
- SVP, Chief Operating Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 681exercise · 2026-03-06
- SVP General Counsel, Secretary · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDisposed 681exercise · 2026-03-06
- Director, President and CEO · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareAcquired 10 155grant · 2026-03-05
- Chief Brand & People Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareAcquired 1 523grant · 2026-03-05
- SVP, Chief Financial Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareAcquired 2 200grant · 2026-03-05
- SVP, Chief Operating Officer · Restricted Stock Units → Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareAcquired 2 200grant · 2026-03-05
Actions
Ask Handelsavisen
- Market data
- Market data cache
- Issuer disclosures
- Public news
- Earnings transcripts
- Consensus estimates
- ESG data
- Reference data
- Cash Conversion Ratiooperating_cash_flow / net_income
- Debt To Equity(short_term_debt + long_term_debt) / total_equity
- Dilution Ratio(shares_outstanding_diluted - shares_outstanding_basic) / shares_outstanding_basic
- Capex To Revenuecapital_expenditure / revenue
- Net Cashcash_and_equivalents + short_term_investments - short_term_debt - long_term_debt
- Return On Equitynet_income / total_equity
- WINGSTOP INC. Market data — financials · 2026-08-02
- reconciler_enqueue (reconciler) on WING.O · 2026-08-02
- WING.O HA canonical relationships · 2026-08-02
Ownership & reference
Top holders
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,14 %$0M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,09 %$172M
- Institutional Investor · as of 2026-03-310,07 %$201M
- Institutional Investor · as of 2026-03-310,06 %$124M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,03 %$0M
- Investment Managers · as of 2024-06-300,03 %$1 236M
- Brokerage Firms · as of 2026-03-310,02 %$65M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,02 %$37M
- Investment Managers · as of 2024-12-310,02 %$66M
- Institutional Investor · as of 2026-03-310,02 %$333M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$61M
- Institutional Investor · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$76M
- Institutional Investor · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$53M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$49M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$55M
- Investment Managers · as of 2025-12-310,01 %$621M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$36M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$90M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$37M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$39M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,01 %$10M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$38M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$131M
- Institutional Investor · as of 2022-09-300,00 %$0M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$9M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$49M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$4M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$7M
- Funds · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$8M
- Brokerage Firms · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$4M
- Institutional Investor · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$1M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$2M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$1M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$1M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$0M
- Investment Managers · as of 2026-03-310,00 %$0M
Leadership
- Michael J. SkipworthPresident, Chief Executive Officer, Director
Insider activity
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 981 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 981 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 981 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 981 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 981 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 1 433 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 981 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 405 · 2026-05-21
- Director · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 981 · 2026-05-21
- Former SVP & CIO · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareSold 250 @ $125,93$31K · 2026-05-12
- SVP, Chief Operating Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 139 @ $160,73$22K · 2026-05-01
- SVP, Chief Operating Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 353 · 2026-05-01
- SVP, Chief Information Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareSold 177 @ $220,78$39K · 2026-03-10
- SVP, Chief Financial Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 225 @ $224,28$50K · 2026-03-09
- SVP, Chief Financial Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 571 · 2026-03-09
- SVP General Counsel, Secretary · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 571 · 2026-03-09
- SVP General Counsel, Secretary · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 225 @ $224,28$50K · 2026-03-09
- Senior Vice President · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 571 · 2026-03-09
- Senior Vice President · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 225 @ $224,28$50K · 2026-03-09
- Chief Brand & People Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 225 @ $224,28$50K · 2026-03-09
- Chief Brand & People Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 571 · 2026-03-09
- Director, President and CEO · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 1 370 @ $224,28$307K · 2026-03-09
- Director, President and CEO · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 3 481 · 2026-03-09
- Chief Brand & People Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 366 · 2026-03-07
- SVP, Chief Information Officer · Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareOther 225 · 2026-03-07