Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.39% and a net margin of 13.04%.The business had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Chipotle Mexican Grill’s conference call:

• Chipotle is accelerating a high-efficiency equipment package rollout (350 restaurants live, ~2,000 by year-end) that management says improves speed, consistency, food quality and has driven “hundreds of basis points” of comp lift in equipped restaurants.
• Management will increase menu cadence to four LTOs in 2026 and highlighted the high?protein line (extra protein incidents +35% and a record digital sales day for a double?protein promo) plus the return of Chicken Al Pastor to drive traffic and trial.
• Chipotle plans a spring relaunch of its rewards program (21M active members; ~30% of sales through rewards) and intends to use AI and personalization to boost in?restaurant adoption, re?engage lapsed users and deepen guest frequency.
• Financial headwinds remain: Q4 comps fell 1.7% (revenue +5.4%), 2026 guidance embeds roughly flat comps, and management expects margin pressure as it takes modest pricing (~1–2% full year) that will not fully offset mid?single?digit inflation early in the year.
• Balance sheet and capital return actions are supportive: no debt, ~$1.3B in cash/restricted cash/investments, a record $2.4B of buybacks in 2025 and $1.7B remaining on the authorization at year?end.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance

CMG opened at $39.10 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12-month low of $29.75 and a 12-month high of $59.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.70 billion, a PE ratio of 34.60, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $37.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.97.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on CMG. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $49.81.

Key Chipotle Mexican Grill News

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CMG. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $290,000 after buying an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $224,000. Magnetar Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $237,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 29.1% during the 2nd quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 5,402 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $303,000 after acquiring an additional 1,218 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth $224,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

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.