Chipotle Mexican Grill’s (CMG) Buy Rating Reaffirmed at BTIG Research

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by equities researchers at BTIG Research in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $45.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock. BTIG Research’s target price points to a potential upside of 15.10% from the stock’s previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $48.00 to $44.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $58.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Friday, December 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $49.81.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE CMG opened at $39.10 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a fifty-two week low of $29.75 and a fifty-two week high of $59.19. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $37.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.97. The firm has a market cap of $51.70 billion, a PE ratio of 34.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.99.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.39% and a net margin of 13.04%.The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. Chipotle Mexican Grill’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 122.7% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 87,844,788 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,442,645,000 after buying an additional 48,398,628 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 18,660,882 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,001,668,000. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 42.4% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 38,497,927 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,509,043,000 after purchasing an additional 11,471,658 shares during the period. Finally, Sustainable Growth Advisers LP acquired a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter valued at about $597,031,000. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — GAAP EPS beat consensus and revenue rose (company reported full‑year revenue +5.4%), helped by new restaurant openings that offset weaker transactions. CHIPOTLE ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS
• Positive Sentiment: Management rolled out a “Recipe for Growth” strategy aimed at improving transactions, accuracy, efficiency and speed — a concrete plan that could restore traffic and margins over time. CHIPOTLE ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS
• Neutral Sentiment: Company will implement modest menu price increases (1–2%) this year targeting higher‑income core customers — may help mix and margins but could limit traffic upside. Chipotle is targeting the top of the K-shaped economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Company offered promotional marketing (Game Day activation, free‑food codes) to drive app engagement and visits — short‑term traffic support but limited visibility on sustained lift. WHILE OTHERS AIR AI‑GENERATED ADS, CHIPOTLE GIVES FANS $1 MILLION IN REAL FOOD
• Negative Sentiment: Management forecast 2026 comparable sales to be about flat and warned of margin pressure as consumers cut discretionary spending — guidance disappointed investors and reduces near‑term growth visibility. Chipotle forecasts weak annual sales, margin pressure as consumers cut discretionary spending
• Negative Sentiment: Foot traffic fell for the fourth straight quarter and same‑store sales guidance came in below expectations — the persistent decline in transactions is the main driver of the stock drop as investors question when traffic will stabilize. CMG Earnings: Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Falls on Weak Guidance, Declining Foot Traffic
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was swift: shares dropped sharply after hours as investors reacted to the weak comp outlook and traffic trends despite the beat — near‑term sentiment remains negative until comps and transactions show improvement. Chipotle stock sinks 11% as restaurant chain reports falling traffic, weak guidance

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.