Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) was raised to Buy from Hold at Stifel on Tuesday, with a new $200 per share price target, up from $180.
Stifel analysts told investors in a note that the company is poised to successfully lap difficult comp comparisons in the second half of the year. This is based on its "menu innovation and delivery channel growth, augmented by rapid expansion in the national ad fund." They added that the company continues to "build top-of-mind awareness and drive incremental usage."
"The company's growing scale also translates into better visibility into long-term food costs," the analysts said. "Leveraging fixed-priced arrangements that decouple procurement costs from spot wing pricing and successful boneless chicken offers (e.g., chicken sandwich platform) demonstrates the path to more stable food costs over time."
They added that other tailwinds, such as sustainable sales layers, significant domestic white space, and building momentum in the international segment, make it unlikely that WING's development will slow soon.