The increase in tariffs on numerous countries and introduction of new levies on a range of items by the Trump administration sent shock waves through the stock market during the last Scoreboard measurement period, with many franchise brands feeling the impact.
Of the 32 franchises listed on our Scoreboard, 24 experienced stock price declines in the last period. In that group, 17 of the declines were by double digits, with prices closed down by more than 20 percent for 12 companies.
While the majority of brands experienced drops, though, it wasn’t bad news for all franchises. Wingstop, for example, had the highest stock gain from March 10 to April 9 as it increased 16 percent, from $209.81 to $242.58.
While it’s positive sign, though, the chicken concept still has a ways to go before reaching its closing price at the start of 2025. Year-to-date, Wingstop’s stock has fallen 15 percent, from a high of $298.01 on January 3.
Wingstop’s stock price is more a reflection of some settling following a record-breaking 2024, though, rather than poor performance. The closing price at the start of 2024 was $245.23 and it reached a high of $422.66 in June. Additionally, the lower closing price from March 10 was just under the pre-2024 high point for Wingstop, when its stock finished at $210.23 in May 2023.
The recent stock increase comes a couple months after the brand reported positive results for the 2024 fiscal year. According to its year-end data, Wingstop’s total revenue increased from $460.1 million to $625.8 million. Same-store sales increased 19.9 percent, while systemwide sales rose 36.8 percent, reaching $4.8 billion.
CEO Michael Skipworth said the results demonstrated the strength of the brand’s strategies.
“We reached new highs with domestic AUVs of $2.1 million and opened 349 net new restaurants,” Skipworth said in a statement. “As we enter 2025, we remain confident in the strategies we are executing and the opportunities in front of us.”
For its 2025 company outlook, Wingstop anticipates low- to mid-single-digit domestic same-store sales growth, with a global unit growth rate of 14 percent to 15 percent.
Along with Wingstop, Brinker International also experienced a stock increase, improving 12 percent from $135.36 to $147.96. Brinker’s portfolio includes Chili’s, Maggiano’s Little Italy and It’s Just Wings.
The brand with the best stock increase year-to-date, meanwhile, was Noodles & Company, up 67 percent from $0.71 at the start of the year to $0.97 in April.
Experiencing the largest decline, meanwhile, was Red Robin, with its closing price falling 32 percent from $4.44 to $3.01. It’s part of a larger recent downward trend for Red Robin, with its stock price declining 45 percent from a $11.36 closing price at the start of the year.
