Restaurant chain %Wingstop (NASDAQ: $WING) is a small-cap stock that is outperforming both its peers and the broader stock market.
The Texas-based company was started in 1994 by two friends who love chicken wings and wanted to create a restaurant that focused on them.
Since then, Wingstop has grown into a popular fast-food chain that today has more than 2,500 locations.
Today, Wingstop continues to grow at a brisk clip, reporting robust same-store sales growth
of 14.6% over the past two years.
The company is also known for disciplined cost controls that have led to an operating margin of 25.5%, among the highest in the restaurant industry.
The strong performance has been reflected in the share price, with WING stock having more than doubled (up 103%) over the past five years, including a 15% gain in 2025.
The stock also pays a dividend of $0.30 U.S. per share each quarter and has a market capitalization of just under $10 billion, putting it in the small-cap stock category.
Analysts note that with most of its restaurants concentrated in the U.S., the company continues to have a big growth opportunity in international markets.
Wingstop is currently focused on opening new outlets in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Canada, where it has launched more than 100 restaurant locations since 2022.
With plenty of upside ahead, strong same-store sales growth, and a stock that is trending higher, Wingstop is a small-cap stock worth considering.
