Wingstop (NASDAQ: WING) shares surged 25% in early trading on Wednesday, climbing to $364.09 after the fast‑casual chain reported second‑quarter results that handily beat Wall Street’s expectations and raised its dividend.
Revenue rose 12% year‑on‑year to $174.3 million, slightly topping analyst forecasts of $173.4 million. More impressively, adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.00, a 15.1% beat on consensus estimates of $0.87 highlighting the company’s operating leverage despite ongoing cost pressures in the restaurant sector.
Adjusted EBITDA hit $59.21 million, beating expectations by 4.1% and maintaining a healthy 34% margin.
“Our second‑quarter results showcase the strength of our unit economics and returns our brand partners are seeing for their businesses,” said Michael Skipworth, Wingstop’s President & CEO.
In addition to the earnings beat, Wingstop announced a 10% hike to its quarterly dividend, increasing it to $0.30 per share from $0.27, signaling confidence in its cash‑flow trajectory and growth outlook.
