CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA) Stock Moved Down to “Sell” by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report issued on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

CAVA has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price target on CAVA Group from $95.00 to $76.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Wolfe Research boosted their target price on shares of CAVA Group from $79.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Guggenheim cut their price target on CAVA Group from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of CAVA Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded CAVA Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CAVA Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $83.88.

CAVA Group Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE CAVA opened at $58.92 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $55.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $71.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 109.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 1.75. CAVA Group has a 52 week low of $43.41 and a 52 week high of $98.79.

CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.12 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $356.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $358.40 million. CAVA Group had a net margin of 4.50% and a return on equity of 7.87%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.12 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that CAVA Group will post 0.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CAVA Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Friday, September 18th that authorizes the company to buy back $100 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 1.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at CAVA Group

In other news, insider Douglas Thompson acquired 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $66.52 per share, for a total transaction of $432,380.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 19,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,288,558.92. This trade represents a 50.50% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CAVA Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CX Institutional bought a new position in shares of CAVA Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new stake in CAVA Group during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in CAVA Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in CAVA Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in CAVA Group by 26.8% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. 73.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about CAVA Group

Here are the key news stories impacting CAVA Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CAVA raised its sales outlook after moving past the cyclospora-related headwind. It also reported 24 net new restaurant openings in the third quarter and projected 76–78 net openings and $184 million–$189 million in adjusted EBITDA for 2026. Sales guidance update 2026 outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts cut price targets after the results, though some retained bullish ratings. Citigroup lowered its target to $65 and BNP Paribas Exane to $62, both with neutral ratings; Bernstein, KeyCorp and TD Cowen also reduced targets but maintained positive ratings. Citigroup rating BNP Paribas Exane rating
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS of $0.11 missed the $0.12 consensus, and revenue of $356.4 million came in below the $358.4 million estimate, despite growing 21% year over year. Reports also flagged margin and traffic slippage; shares slid 11% following the results. Earnings results Margin and traffic concerns Share decline after results

About CAVA Group

CAVA Group, Inc operates CAVA, a fast-casual restaurant brand serving Mediterranean-inspired food in the United States. Its menu includes customizable bowls and pitas, salads, dips, spreads, grilled proteins, and other Mediterranean dishes, with options designed to accommodate a range of dietary preferences.

The company’s restaurants generally use an assembly-line format that allows customers to build meals from a selection of ingredients and sauces. CAVA also offers its branded dips, spreads, and other products through select grocery and retail channels, extending the brand beyond its restaurant locations.

CAVA was founded in 2010 by Dimitri Moshovitis, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Ted Xenohristos.