Shake Shack

SHAK

Restaurants · Consumer Cyclical

Price

$75.82

+1.97 (+2.67%)

Market Cap

$3.06B

Winston Score

Winston is curious

A decent business — some strong pillars, some weaker.

Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jul 1, 2026

How the score breaks down

Quality

Mixed

Growth

Strong

Cash Flow

Strong

Stability

Strong

Valuation

Good

Track this stock — start free trial

Share count rising — dilution

+7.1% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 39.1M (2021) → 41.8M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Shake Shack is a fast-casual restaurant chain that sells burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries, milkshakes, and lemonade. It started as a hot dog cart in New York City's Madison Square Park in 2001 and has grown into a recognizable brand with hundreds of locations. The company targets everyday consumers who want food that feels a step above typical fast food but is still quick and affordable.

Shake Shack makes money primarily by selling food and drinks directly to customers at its restaurants. It operates in the United States and internationally, with locations in markets like the Middle East, Asia, and Europe — some of which are run by licensed partners who pay fees to use the brand. With a gross margin under 20% and an ROIC below 3%, the business is not highly profitable today, and rising food and labor costs are a constant pressure. The key growth driver is expanding its restaurant count, but execution and cost control will determine whether that growth translates into meaningful profits.

Politician Trades

4 trades / 12mo

2 Congressional buys and 2 sells on SHAK in the last 12 months.

Unlock the full Smart Money Map — every trade plotted on the price chart with politicians, amounts and returns since each trade. Founder's Deal is $57/mo locked for life.

Unlock politician trades

Growth Profile

For growth stock investors

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+17.2% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady revenue growth

EPS Growth

-9.3% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (4%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

4.7%ownership

→ Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Runway

~5 years

$308M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

$308M cash & investments at current burn rate

Growth context

Shake Shack is growing revenue at 17% year-over-year. The Winston Score measures business quality today — these growth metrics show what could matter tomorrow.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale

Gross Margin

68.5%

Premium pricing power — 68.5% gross margin

Profit after running costs

Operating Margin

5.0%

Thin — 5.0% operating margin

Return on the money invested

ROCE

8.9%

Below par — 8.9% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Growth

Sales growth

Sales YoY

+17.3%

Fast-growing sales (+17.3% YoY)

Profit growth

EPS YoY

+96.6%

Earnings growing fast (+96.6% YoY)

Earnings growing 25%+ a year. The compounder zone.

How steady the profit is

EPS Consistency

5/8 quarters

Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash

Cash Conversion

557%

Turns 557% of profit into real cash

Spare cash per sale

FCF Margin

2.4%

Thin free cash flow (2.4%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Stability

What it owes vs what it owns

Debt / Equity

0.46

Conservative — low debt load (0.46)

Covers its interest

Interest Cover

13.04x

Comfortably covers interest (13.0x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Valuation

Price vs profit

P/E Ratio (TTM)

77.1x

Expensive — P/E 77.1

P/E over 35. The market is pricing in heavy, sustained growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year

P/E vs Forward

+40.3

GROWING

Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (77.1 → 36.9)

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Dividends

Not applicable for this business.

🔒 See full fundamentals and if they are improving or declining — click here for your free trial now.

Start free trial