Core Viewpoint - Nestle is considering reducing its involvement in the ice cream business, including a potential reduction of its stake in the Froneri joint venture, as it reviews various options [1]. Group 1: Company Actions - Nestle is evaluating options to decrease its presence in the ice cream sector, which may involve selling some of its fully-owned ice cream operations to Froneri [1]. - The company has not provided any comments regarding these deliberations, and Froneri has not responded to inquiries [1]. Group 2: Froneri Joint Venture - Froneri, a joint venture between PAI Partners and Nestle, was recently valued at 15 billion euros (approximately $17.69 billion) following investments from Goldman Sachs and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority [1]. - PAI Partners may consider increasing its stake in Froneri if Nestle opts to reduce its shareholding, or Nestle could sell part of its stake to other investors like ADIA [1]. Group 3: Market Context - Froneri produces well-known ice cream brands such as Haagen-Dazs and Rowntree's, and it competes with the newly independent Magnum Ice Cream Company, which separated from Unilever last year [1].

The stock jumped more than 12% Wednesday amid heavy trading, as short interest, already elevated at over 17% of the tradable float, likely fueled intensified buying pressure.Quarterly MetricsWingstop posted system-wide sales of $1.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 9.3% from 2024.The company opened 124 net new restaurants and reported a domestic restaurant AUV of $2.0 million.Domestic same-store sales fell 5.8% versus the prior year. Digital orders accounted for 73.2% of system-wide sales.Operating ...

Core Insights - Wingstop reported fourth-quarter system-wide sales of $1.3 billion, a 9.3% increase compared to 2024, primarily due to the addition of 124 net new restaurants, although domestic same-store sales declined by 5.8% due to macroeconomic pressures [1][3] - The company ended 2025 with over 3,000 restaurants and system-wide sales exceeding $5 billion, despite a 3% decline in same-store sales [2][6] - Management emphasized the potential for scaling its franchised model and the successful rollout of the Smart Kitchen platform, which aims to enhance operational efficiency [3][8] Financial Performance - Adjusted EBITDA rose approximately 10% in Q4 to $61.9 million, while adjusted earnings per diluted share increased by 5% to $1.00, despite a $0.18 impact from higher interest expenses related to a $500 million securitization [6][7] - The company returned over $250 million to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and share repurchases, with a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share declared for March 2026 [4][18] Growth and Expansion - Wingstop plans to launch a national loyalty program, "Club Wingstop," in Q2 2026, following a successful pilot that saw a 7% increase in frequency among enrolled guests [4][16] - The company aims for global unit growth of 15-16% in 2026, with guidance for domestic same-store sales to be flat to low single-digit growth [4][19] Operational Improvements - The Smart Kitchen rollout is complete, with management reporting that about 50% of restaurants are achieving 10-minute service times, and delivery times have improved by approximately 15% year-over-year [5][11] - The company is focusing on execution in 2026, implementing new operating standards and accountability measures to enhance performance [9][10] Marketing and Customer Engagement - Wingstop's new brand campaign, "Wingstop Is Here," aims to increase brand awareness and has shown early success with record high brand recall [13] - The digital customer base grew by 20% in 2025, with significant growth noted among higher-income households [14]

Wingstop shares jumped after the fast-casual chain topped profit expectations, even as domestic same-store sales declined and revenue missed forecasts. ...

Wingstop (NasdaqGS:WING) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 18, 2026 10:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsAlex Kaleida - SVP and CFOAndy Barish - Managing DirectorChris O'Cull - Managing DirectorChristine Cho - VP of Equity ResearchGregory Francfort - Managing DirectorJon Tower - Director of Equity ResearchMichael Skipworth - President and CEOPeter Saleh - Managing DirectorSarah Niehaus - Senior Director of Investor RelationsConference Call ParticipantsBrian Harbour - Equity AnalystDanilo Gargiulo - Senior Research ...

Wingstop (NasdaqGS:WING) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 18, 2026 10:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsAlex Kaleida - SVP and CFOAndy Barish - Managing DirectorChris O'Cull - Managing DirectorChristine Cho - VP of Equity ResearchGregory Francfort - Managing DirectorJon Tower - Director of Equity ResearchMichael Skipworth - President and CEOPeter Saleh - Managing DirectorSarah Niehaus - Senior Director of Investor RelationsConference Call ParticipantsBrian Harbour - Equity AnalystDanilo Gargiulo - Senior Research ...

Wingstop (NasdaqGS:WING) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 18, 2026 10:00 AM ET Speaker11Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to Wingstop Inc.'s fiscal fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings conference call. All participants will be in a listen-only mode. Should you need assistance, please signal a conference specialist by pressing the star key followed by zero. Please note that this conference is being recorded today, Wednesday, February 18th, 2026. On the call today ...

About this content About Emily Jarvie Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, ...

Wingstop (WING) came out with quarterly earnings of $1 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.84 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.88 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +18.85%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this restaurant chain would post earnings of $0.91 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.09, delivering a surprise of +19.78%.Over the last four quarters, the company ...

Wingstop reported lower fourth-quarter comparable sales after previously saying that weakness from Hispanic and low-income consumers was weighing on its business. ...