Skip to main content
Log In
Alger
  • About Alger
    • Our History
      Our Investment Approach
      Investment Team
      Careers
      Commitment to Sustainability
      Commitment to DEI
      Charitable Giving
      We Remember
  • Strategies
    • Strategies Overview
      Asset Classes
      Vehicles
      Strategy Finder
      Think Further For Retirement
      Large Cap
      Mid Cap
      Small/SMid Cap
      International
      Alternatives
      Specialty
      Focus
      Mutual Funds
      ETFs
      SMAs
      Institutional Separate Accounts
      UCITS
      Collective Investment Trusts
  • Insights
    • Insights
      Blogs
      Alger On the Money
      Alger On the Record
      Manager Commentary
      Capital Markets Outlook
      Retirement Solutions
      Viewpoints
      The Power of Focus
      Perspectives on Growth & Change
      Market Strategy Insights
      Insights on Emerging Markets
  • Newsroom
    Press ReleasesIn the News
  • Contact Us
AlgerOn theRecord
Explore InsightsExplore Insights Subscribe to EmailsSubscribe to Emails Share on Social Media

​Video: A Recipe for Investing in Wingstop

Amy Zhang's Photo

Amy Zhang, CFA;

Executive Vice President
Portfolio Manager

​

​​
​
​
Alger Small Cap Focus Portfolio Manager Amy Zhang discusses why she thinks Wingstop is really a technology company that happens to serve chicken. Click here to hear the full conversation with Amy.

How Is Wingstop Positioned in the Small Cap Focus Strategy?
AMY ZHANG: Our playbook is to identify and invest in exceptional small companies that have the wherewithal to become exceptional large companies. We think Wingstop really exemplifies that. I really feel like it’s a technology company that sells chicken wings. Their goal is to digitize every transaction. We think the benefit of being digitized is not only for cost efficiency but also really turning data into actionable insights that you can personalize. And they also are adopters of AI in terms of using online transactions and chatbots and so forth. So, they are really in the forefront of digital transformation. 

When Did You First Invest in Wingstop? ​
AMY: We initially invested in Wingstop in April 2016, The reason why? Because it’s a franchise model, and we think it’s very portable. Now they have about 2,000 locations, and internationally they only have 300. The franchise model is extremely asset-light. We think Wingstop will be more resilient with an economic slowdown or even a recession. 

Do You Expect Continued Growth From Wingstop?
AMY: Yes. For exceptional growth companies, scalability is really important so they can continue to exhibit strong same-store growth and unit growth. And we think the digitization will continue to provide them with significant savings and turning data into actionable insights. Those are very important characteristics that we look for in companies. 

It’s really about investing in long-term compounders when they’re still under the radar. So, that was Wingstop back in April 2016. When we find those exceptional small companies – and we call them gems – we really want to hold onto them because there’s a lot of opportunity cost if you sell too early. 

What Does This Holding Represent in Your Small Cap Portfolio?
AMY: We want a company that has a very strong moat, something truly differentiated. The combination of strong same-store growth plus the very durable unit growth and asset-light franchise model. We think all of that is very unique, and we’re always looking for the durability of the business model. So, that’s why it really exemplifies what we look for in Small Cap Focus. 

And How Do You Like Their Wings?
AMY: We’ve ordered Wingstop multiple times, and we think it’s fantastic. We definitely invest in what we like, so to speak.​​​



Alger Small Cap Focus Portfolio Manager Amy Zhang discusses why she thinks Wingstop is really a technology company that happens to serve chicken.

Recommended Insights for You:


​
The views expressed are the views of Fred Alger Management, LLC (FAM) and its affiliates as of April 2024. These views are subject to change at any time and may not represent the views of all portfolio management teams. These views should not be interpreted as a guarantee of the future performance of the markets, any security or any funds managed by FAM. These views are not meant to provide investment advice and should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell securities. Holdings and sector allocations are subject to change.

Risk Disclosures: Investing in the stock market involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks as their prices tend to be higher in relation to their companies’ earnings and may be more sensitive to market, political, and economic developments. Local, regional or global events such as environmental or natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemics, outbreaks of infectious diseases and similar public health threats, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on investments. A significant portion of assets may be invested in securities of companies in related sectors or industries, and may be similarly affected by economic, political, or market events and conditions and may be more vulnerable to unfavorable sector or industry developments. Investing in companies of small capitalizations involves the risk that such issuers may have limited product lines or financial resources, lack management depth, or have limited liquidity. Assets may be focused in a small number of holdings, making them susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political or regulatory event than a more diversified portfolio. At times, cash may be a larger position in the portfolio and may underperform relative to equity securities. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investors whose reference currency differs from that in which the underlying assets are invested may be  subject to exchange rate movements that alter the value of their investments. Investing in innovation is not without risk and there is no guarantee that investments in research and development will result in a company gaining market share or achieving enhanced revenue. Companies exploring new technologies may face regulatory, political, or legal challenges that may adversely impact their competitive positioning and financial prospects. Also, developing technologies to displace older technologies or create new markets may not in fact do so, and there may be sector specific risks as well. As is the case with any industry, there will be winners and losers that emerge, and investors therefore need to conduct a significant amount of due diligence on individual companies to assess these risks and opportunities.

Important Information for US Investors: This material must be accompanied by the most recent fund fact sheet(s) if used in connection with the sale of mutual fund and ETF shares. Fred Alger & Company, LLC serves as distributor of the Alger mutual funds. 

Important Information for UK and EU Investors: This material is directed at investment professionals  and qualified investors (as defined by MiFID/FCA regulations). It is for information purposes only and has been prepared and is made available for the benefit investors. This material does not constitute an offer or solicitation to any person in any jurisdiction in which it is not authorized or permitted, or to anyone who would be an unlawful recipient, and is only intended for use by original recipients and addressees. The original recipient is solely responsible for any actions in further distributing this material and should be satisfied in doing so that there is no breach of local legislation or regulation. 
Certain products may be subject to restrictions with regard to certain persons or in certain countries under national regulations applicable to such persons or countries. 

Alger Management, Ltd. (85 Gresham Street, Suite 308, London EC2V 7NQ, UK) is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, for the distribution of regulated financial products and services. FAM and/or Weatherbie Capital, LLC, U.S. registered investment advisors, serve as sub-portfolio manager to financial products distributed by Alger Management, Ltd.

Alger Group Holdings, LLC (parent company of FAM and Alger Management, Ltd.), FAM, and Fred Alger & Company, LLC are not authorized persons for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 of the United Kingdom (“FSMA”) and this material has not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of Section 21(2)(b) of the FSMA.

Important information for Investors in Israel: This material is provided in Israel only to investors of the type listed in the first schedule of the Securities Law, 1968 (the “Securities Law”) and the Regulation of Investment Advice, Investment Marketing and Investment Portfolio Management Law, 1995. The Fund units will not be sold to investors who are not of the type listed in the first schedule of the Securities Law.

Alger pays com​pensation to third party marketers to sell various strategies to prospective investors.

1Correlation is a statistical measure that shows how two variables are related to each other. If two variables are correlated, it means that they tend to move together in some way. The strength of the correlation is measured by a number called the correlation coefficient, which ranges from -1 to 1. A value of 0 indicates no correlation, a value of 1 indicates a perfect positive correlation (i.e., as one variable increases, the other increases as well), and a value of -1 indicates a perfect negative correlation (i.e., as one variable increases, the other decreases.

The following positions represent assets under management for the Alger Small Cap Focus Strategy as of January 31, 2024: Wingstop, Inc., 3.52%.
 
Fred Alger & Company, LLC 100 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10004 / 800.223.3810  / www.alger.com
​

RecommendedContent Title

ABOUT ALGER

  • Our History
  • Our Investment Approach
  • Investment Team
  • Careers
  • Charitable Giving
  • We Remember
  • Think Further
  • Documents & Forms
  • Fund Literature
  • FAQs

ESG

  • Commitment to Sustainability
  • Alger's Approach to ESG Investing and Oversight
  • Weatherbie’s Approach to ESG Investing and Oversight
  • Redwood's Approach to Responsible Investing
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

ASSET CLASSES

  • Large Cap
  • Mid Cap
  • Small/SMid Cap
  • International
  • Alternatives
  • Specialty
  • Focus

VEHICLES

  • Mutual Funds
  • ETFs
  • SMAs
  • Institutional Separate Accounts
  • UCITS
  • Collective Investment Trusts

TOOLS

  • Strategy Finder
  • 10 Year Estimator
  • Quarterly Expense Estimator

INSIGHTS

  • Featured Insights
  • Capital Markets Outlook
  • Alger On the Money
  • Alger On the Record
  • The Alger Podcast
  • Think Further for Retirement
  • Search All Insights

NEWSROOM

  • Press Releases
  • In the News

LITERATURE

  • Mutual Funds
  • SMAs
  • Institutional Separate Accounts
  • UCITS

CONTACT US

  • All Inquiries

LEGAL NOTICES

  • Proxy Information
  • 2024 Dividends & Distribution Information
  • Sales Charges
  • Customer Relationship Summaries
  • UK Investor Report
  • Form ADVs
View Mobile Site

Copyright Alger All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy Business Continuity Terms and Conditions
youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram