Stephens

Papa John's Int'l, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) seems to be serving up delectable offerings, as has been seen by sell-side views on the stock. The most recent view comes from Stephens, which hosted investor meetings with the company's chief financial officer Lance Tucker and president/chief operations...

While Sonic Corporation (NASDAQ: SONC) did not beat on Q3 earnings, Stephens analyst Will Slabaugh believes Sonic closed in on its valuation gap. The analyst maintains an Overweight rating with a $32 price target. Numbers You Should Know From Q3 Earnings Same-Store Sales: -1.2 percent versus -1.0...

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) released a regulatory 8-k filing after Monday's market close to "reaffirm and clarify" certain financial and operating metrics. Chipotle said it still expects food costs for the second quarter to be approximately 34.2 percent of sales. Moreover, marketing...

Reviewing the first-quarter results of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB), Stephens said the quarter was solid and that the earnings guidance was beatable. Analyst Will Slabaugh noted that Red Robin Gourmet reported better-than-expected results, with a same-store sales drop of 1.2...

Wendys Co (NASDAQ: WEN)'s earnings report on Wednesday helped boost shares to an all-time high of $16.12 and received a nod of approval from one of the Street's most notable restaurant analysts. Stephens' Will Slabaugh maintains an Overweight rating on Wendy's stock with a price target boosted from...

Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc (NASDAQ: FRGI), the parent company of fast-casual restaurant brands including Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana, disappointed investors in its first-quarter report, which consisted of top- and bottom-line misses. Following the report, Will Slabaugh of Stephens downgraded...

Wingstop Inc (NASDAQ: WING) reported a first-quarter top-line beat with same-store sales declining less than expected — and Stephens analyst Will Slabaugh expects the firm’s nascent advertising push to drive continued acceleration. Slabaugh attributed the sales performance to media-...

Will Slabaugh of Stephens believes Wingstop Inc (NASDAQ: WING) represents an "attractive, multi-year opportunity," which prompted the analyst to upgrade the stock from Equal Weight to Overweight with a newly established $32 price target. According to Slabaugh, the chicken wings restaurant boasts...

Wing price inflation is taking the wind out of the sails of chicken wing restaurants. And the proof is there to see, with some big names in the space reporting abysmal fourth-quarter results, blaming them on wing price inflation. Chicken wing frenzy reaches the peak during the football season,...

Stephens still find value in Papa John's Int'l, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) despite the pizza company’s mixed fourth-quarter results that saw an EPS beat, with revenue missing the mark. Papa John's company-owned SSS of +4.8 percent came in below consensus estimate of +6.5 percent, and...

Against a challenging restaurant environment, Texas Roadhouse Inc (NASDAQ: TXRH) and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB) announced weak Q4 same-store sales. Both companies should generate better results in fiscal year 2017, Stephens’ Will Slabaugh said in a report. Slabaugh has the...

Shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc (NYSE: QSR) set a new 52-week high after the owner of the Burger King and Tim Hortons fast-food chains agreed to buy Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc (NASDAQ: PLKI) for $1.8 billion. For each share of Popeyes, Restaurant Brands will pay $79 in cash,...

In the race to the top of the fast food chain, McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) investors haven’t seemed to be lovin’ it. Meanwhile, Wendys Co (NASDAQ: WEN) fans appeared to gain faith that it’s really “better here,” and buyers of Restaurant Brands...

Despite an industry slowdown, Stephens expects positive comps from Wendys Co (NASDAQ: WEN), which is set to report its fourth-quarter results as well as host its investor day Thursday. Analyst Commentary Analyst Will Slabaugh expects EPS of $0.09, in line with Street. Wendy’s has met or...