Wingstop (WING) shares are soaring 5.04% in pre-market trading on Wednesday following the release of its fiscal first quarter 2025 financial results, which surpassed analyst expectations despite ongoing macroeconomic challenges.

The restaurant chain reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.99, beating the Wall Street consensus estimate of $0.86. Revenue for the quarter came in at $171.1 million, slightly above the expected $170.9 million. Notably, Wingstop achieved record growth with 126 net new store openings in the quarter, nearly doubling the number from the same period last year and resulting in an impressive 18% unit growth.

While the company demonstrated strong overall performance, it also adjusted its outlook in response to economic uncertainties. Wingstop now expects 1% growth in domestic same-store sales, down from its previous guidance of low to mid-single digit growth. However, the company raised its global unit growth rate projection to 16-17%, up from the earlier 14-15% forecast. CEO Michael Skipworth noted, "Despite the challenging and unpredictable macro-environment, our first quarter results demonstrate the staying power of our strategies and resiliency in our model."

Adding to the positive results, Wingstop reported a significant one-time gain from the sale of its investment in its UK master franchisee, which contributed to a substantial increase in net income. However, investors should note that this gain is non-recurring and adjust their expectations accordingly for future quarters. As Wingstop continues to navigate economic headwinds, its strong unit growth and better-than-expected financial performance appear to be outweighing concerns about slowing same-store sales growth in the eyes of investors.