Markets

Buffalo Wild Wings explodes higher after raising its earnings forecast

buffalo wild wings
Buffalo Wild Wings By Bob B. Brown on Flickr
Read in app
  • Buffalo Wild Wings raised its full-year forecast for adjusted earnings per share, sending its stock flying in extended trading. 
  • The company had faced "historically high" chicken-wing costs, but killed one of its most popular promos to save costs. 

 

Buffalo Wild Wings shares on Wednesday surged nearly 22% in extended trading after the company raised its forecast for full-year earnings.  

The restaurant chain forecast adjusted earnings per share of $4.85 to $5.15, topping analysts' forecasts that ranged between $4.13 and $4.70 according to Bloomberg. Third-quarter adjusted EPS was $1.36, crushing the estimate for $0.79. 

The earnings release also showed that the company was working to save costs amid rising chicken-wing prices. It ended half-price wings Tuesday and replaced it with a "buy-one, get-one" offer for boneless wings.  

"The recent Tuesday promotion shift from traditional to boneless wings at company-owned restaurants will continue to improve cost of sales while traditional wing prices remain elevated," said Sally Smith, the CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings, in a statement. 

Chicken wings cost $2.16 per pound on average in the third quarter, up from $1.72 a year ago. 

Sales at stores open for at least one year fell in the third quarter by 2.3% at company-owned restaurants. 

The stock fell 34% this year through Wednesday's close.

Screen Shot 2017 10 25 at 4.27.08 PM
Markets Insider

More to come ...

Read next

Akin Oyedele's face on a gray background
Akin Oyedele
Akin edits flagship newsletters including First Trade and Tech Memo, as well as weekly topical roundups of Business Insider's coverage including Defense Flash. He also provides editorial support for the development and launch of new newsletters.    Prior to this role, he was a markets reporter for over a decade and edited Business Insider's investing coverage. He covered bonds and FX at Bloomberg before joining BI in 2014.