Short Interest in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) Expands By 19.6%

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 36,521,145 shares, an increase of 19.6% from the January 29th total of 30,528,793 shares. Approximately 2.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 24,933,160 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days. Based on an average daily volume of 24,933,160 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days. Approximately 2.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:CMG traded up $0.15 during trading on Thursday, reaching $36.86. 6,346,962 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,189,746. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52-week low of $29.75 and a 52-week high of $58.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.00. The business’s fifty day moving average is $38.43 and its 200-day moving average is $37.96.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.96 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 12.88% and a return on equity of 47.99%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on CMG. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Gordon Haskett cut Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $47.24.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 144,588,220 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,349,764,000 after buying an additional 18,660,882 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 15.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 101,688,010 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $3,762,457,000 after acquiring an additional 13,843,222 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 18.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 58,447,867 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,162,572,000 after acquiring an additional 9,237,720 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 17.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 45,294,212 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,675,895,000 after purchasing an additional 6,796,285 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 33,111,508 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,859,211,000 after purchasing an additional 606,190 shares during the period. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-casual restaurant company known for its Mexican-inspired menu of burritos, bowls, tacos and salads. Founded in 1993 by Steve Ells, the chain emphasizes fresh, customizable meals made from a limited menu of core ingredients and a focus on ingredient quality. Chipotle operates primarily company-owned restaurants and offers dine-in, takeout, catering and delivery through its own digital platforms and third-party partners.

The company is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, and traces its roots to Denver, Colorado.