CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA) Stock Price Target Lowered at Sanford C. Bernstein

CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA) had its price target dropped by equities researchers at Sanford C. Bernstein from $95.00 to $80.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 43.30% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on CAVA. Northcoast Research upgraded CAVA Group from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Melius Research upgraded shares of CAVA Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $95.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Wolfe Research boosted their target price on CAVA Group from $79.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group cut their price objective on CAVA Group from $90.00 to $85.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of CAVA Group from $80.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, CAVA Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.23.

CAVA Group Stock Performance

NYSE CAVA traded down $6.15 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $55.83. 4,358,926 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,371,182. The company has a market capitalization of $6.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 101.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.75. CAVA Group has a one year low of $43.41 and a one year high of $98.79. The company’s 50-day moving average is $56.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $71.20.

CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $356.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $358.40 million. CAVA Group had a return on equity of 8.28% and a net margin of 4.82%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.12 EPS. Research analysts predict that CAVA Group will post 0.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CAVA Group announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Friday, September 18th that permits the company to buy back $100 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 1.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Share repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CAVA Group news, insider Douglas Thompson acquired 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $66.52 per share, for a total transaction of $432,380.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 19,371 shares in the company, valued at $1,288,558.92. The trade was a 50.50% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 6.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CAVA Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Keybank National Association OH boosted its stake in CAVA Group by 34.7% in the 3rd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 10,046 shares of the company’s stock worth $543,000 after buying an additional 2,587 shares during the last quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC grew its stake in CAVA Group by 17.3% during the 3rd quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 9,727 shares of the company’s stock valued at $526,000 after purchasing an additional 1,436 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of CAVA Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $797,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC grew its position in shares of CAVA Group by 69.6% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 9,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $504,000 after buying an additional 3,826 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its stake in shares of CAVA Group by 1.6% in the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 238,874 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,923,000 after purchasing an additional 3,681 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.15% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CAVA Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: CAVA raised its full-year same-restaurant sales outlook after quarterly comparable sales grew 3.1%, citing continued market-share gains and a reduced drag from the cyclospora outbreak. Wall Street Journal article
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s 2026 outlook calls for 76–78 net new restaurant openings and adjusted EBITDA of $184 million to $189 million, supporting its growth story. Seeking Alpha article
• Neutral Sentiment: KeyCorp lowered its price target to $75 from $80 and TD Cowen cut its target to $76 from $78; both firms maintained bullish ratings, Overweight and Buy, respectively. The reductions temper the positive ratings but still imply substantial upside from the prices cited in the reports. KeyCorp analyst recommendations TD Cowen analyst recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $0.11 per share versus the $0.12 consensus, while revenue of $356.44 million also came in below expectations of about $358.4 million. Revenue still grew 21% year over year, but the double miss likely weighed on shares. Benzinga article
• Negative Sentiment: Management also pointed to broader pressures across the restaurant industry, raising concern that consumer and operating conditions could challenge performance despite the stronger sales outlook. Benzinga article

CAVA Group Company Profile

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.