Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from Citigroup

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its price target lowered by Citigroup from $45.00 to $43.00 in a report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Stephens decreased 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 research report on Thursday, October 15th. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and issued a $53.00 target price (up from $50.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.96.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Down 5.2%

Shares of NYSE:CMG opened at $28.11 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $35.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.96. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52 week low of $27.87 and a 52 week high of $42.38. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.41.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last released its 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 firm had revenue of $3.35 billion during 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.33 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill

In other news, insider Matthew R. Bush sold 2,675 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $765,586.25. This trade represents a 11.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.45% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,417,475,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 19.8% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 16,478,248 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $527,469,000 after buying an additional 2,727,762 shares during the period. Amundi grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 23.3% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 11,980,192 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $383,486,000 after buying an additional 2,266,087 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 86.1% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,973,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $383,280,000 after buying an additional 5,541,385 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 30.6% during 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 worth $368,751,000 after buying an additional 2,541,795 shares during the period. 91.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chipotle Mexican Grill News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reduced its price target to $40 from $45 but maintained an Overweight rating, implying substantial upside from current levels and signaling that the firm still views Chipotle’s long-term recovery as intact. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle is bringing back its Boorito Halloween promotion, offering $6 entrées to Rewards members who visit in costume. The campaign could support traffic and customer engagement, although the discount may limit its effect on profitability. Boorito promotion announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Chipotle’s Cultivate Next venture fund participated in a $12 million funding round for agricultural-biologicals company IMIO. The investment supports Chipotle’s supply-chain and soil-health goals but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. IMIO funding announcement
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded CMG to Hold from Buy and slashed its price target to $32 from $44, citing soft October sales and a “lackluster start to Q4.” The firm expects same-store sales growth below consensus for the fourth quarter and 2027, raising concerns that the recovery is losing momentum. TD Cowen downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are approaching next week’s earnings report cautiously. Pre-release analysis indicates Chipotle may lack the usual combination of positive earnings revisions and strong estimates needed for a likely earnings beat. Chipotle earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option activity—80,695 puts purchased, about 61% above typical volume—signals increased demand for downside protection or bearish speculation. The stock is also trading near its one-year low and below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc (NYSE: CMG) operates a chain of fast-casual restaurants focused on Mexican-inspired food. Its menu includes burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas and salads, with options such as chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas, sofritas and vegetables. The company emphasizes preparing food in its restaurants from ingredients it describes as responsibly sourced, including meats raised with attention to animal welfare and produce from selected suppliers.

Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Denver, Colorado.