Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Price Target Raised to $40.00

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its price target upped by Morgan Stanley from $39.00 to $40.00 in a report released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

CMG has been the subject of several other reports. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $42.50 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Stephens lowered their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.67.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Down 2.4%

Shares of CMG opened at $29.84 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $37.75 billion, a PE ratio of 27.37, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.96. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 1 year low of $28.03 and a 1 year high of $42.74. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.46.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.33 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 54.65% and a net margin of 11.43%. Chipotle Mexican Grill’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Matthew R. Bush sold 2,675 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total value of $95,631.25. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $765,586.25. The trade was a 11.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth $4,417,475,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 19.8% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 16,478,248 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $527,469,000 after buying an additional 2,727,762 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 23.3% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 11,980,192 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $383,486,000 after buying an additional 2,266,087 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter valued at $383,483,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 30.6% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,845,627 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $368,751,000 after buying an additional 2,541,795 shares during the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Chipotle Mexican Grill News

Here are the key news stories impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James maintained an “outperform” rating while lowering its price target from $42.50 to $37.00. The revised target still implies substantial upside from recent trading levels, suggesting the firm views the recent decline as excessive. Raymond James lowers Chipotle price target
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $39 to $40, although it retained an “equal weight” rating. The move indicates modestly improved valuation expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: UBS expects Chipotle’s sales growth to strengthen in 2027, supported by new initiatives and investments intended to increase customer traffic and engagement. Historical performance also offers a potential seasonal catalyst: shares produced double-digit fourth-quarter returns in 2020 and 2023. History says Q4 will bring for Chipotle stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Restaurant chains, including Chipotle, are adjusting portion sizes, menu formats and pricing strategies as consumers become more price-conscious. These changes could support traffic but may also affect average checks and margins. Restaurant chains adjust menu strategies
• Negative Sentiment: UBS projects broadly in-line third-quarter sales, including same-store sales growth of 1.5%, but warns that weaker trends entering the fourth quarter could pressure near-term results. Sales growth and restaurant margins remain challenged ahead of the expected 2027 recovery. UBS outlook for Chipotle
• Negative Sentiment: Stephens lowered its price target from $40 to $38 and kept an “equal weight” rating, reinforcing concerns about limited near-term operating momentum.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc is a fast-casual restaurant company that specializes in Mexican-inspired food made with a limited number of core ingredients. Its menu includes burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, salads and sides, with options such as chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas, sofritas and vegetables. The company also offers beverages, including soft drinks and other drinks, and allows customers to customize meals.

Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle operates company-owned restaurants under the Chipotle Mexican Grill brand.