There are a lot of causes to worry a correction in Wingstop Inc. NASDAQ: WING, however buyers should not get able to fly the coop. Whereas a correction is greater than due, the trajectory for development suggests the uptrend will proceed following a wholesome correction, and it is a high quality identify in eating places. 

On this mild, trimming positions and taking earnings could also be so as, however not a run-for-the-hills model place closeout. 

Why may Wingstop’s worth motion appropriate to decrease ranges? 

The inventory worth is up greater than 65% since its final backside with no considerable pullback in worth motion. That creates overbought circumstances, which will not result in correction however set the market up for worth weak spot. Add to that an extremely excessive valuation, slowing development, bearish indicators within the worth motion, a hurdle within the analysts’ sentiment, and the chances of correction develop. 

The query is whether or not this market will pull again considerably or enter a consolidation section. 

Extremely valued with slowing development, Wingstop appears ripe to drag again

Relating to worth, Wingstop trades at a really excessive 105x this 12 months’s earnings consensus and a whopping 90x subsequent 12 months’s. An expectation for strong development helps the P/E a number of however values the corporate at twice the speed of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. NYSE: CMG, the premium development identify in informal eating. 

Relating to development, the corporate is in a hyper-growth section, however development is slowing. Development peaked close to 50% final 12 months and slowed to the low 30% vary this 12 months. Development is anticipated to proceed in 2024 however will gradual to solely 15%, suggesting the market is overvalued. Chipotle trades at 52x this 12 months and 45x subsequent 12 months’s consensus figures whereas sustaining development within the teenagers. 

The charts are sketchy. The day by day worth motion chart exhibits a bearish engulfing sample that swallows two weeks of worth motion and vital divergence within the indicators. The MACD and stochastic have diverged from the brand new highs, with stochastic trending decrease and displaying appreciable weak spot by falling beneath the higher sign line. 

The danger for bullish merchants is that market weak spot will lead the inventory worth to retest the current help degree or decrease; the caveat for bearish merchants is {that a} deep correction is way from assured, and there’s a excessive chance this market will transfer sideways in consolidation. 

Wingstop is a most upgraded inventory, however that’s solely price a lot

The analysts are bullish on this inventory and have been elevating their worth targets all 12 months. Analysts’ exercise is sufficient to have the inventory ranked on the “most upgraded shares” checklist, however their worth targets have lagged the market, that’s, till now. 

Buying and selling at $250, the inventory was proper on the excessive finish of the analysts’ anticipated vary, a hurdle for sentiment. TD Cowen modified that, which lifted its goal to $270, setting the brand new excessive finish. This opens the door to upward motion in inventory costs however may have a restricted impact if different analysts don’t carry their goal. The consensus remains to be about 17% beneath the current highs and should drag on worth motion till the following earnings report due in mid-February. 

Establishments might tip the stability

Earlier than you contemplate Wingstop, you may need to hear this.

MarketBeat retains observe of Wall Avenue’s top-rated and greatest performing analysis analysts and the shares they suggest to their purchasers every day. MarketBeat has recognized the 5 shares that high analysts are quietly whispering to their purchasers to purchase now earlier than the broader market catches on… and Wingstop wasn’t on the checklist.

Whereas Wingstop at present has a “Maintain” ranking amongst analysts, top-rated analysts consider these 5 shares are higher buys.