Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Stock Rating Reaffirmed as Outperform by Mizuho

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reiterated by equities researchers at Mizuho in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, September 1st, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $43.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. Mizuho’s target price suggests a potential upside of 51.91% from the company’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on CMG. Weiss Ratings upgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. 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 research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $42.50 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed a “positive” rating and issued a $40.00 target price (up from $36.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.32.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE CMG traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $28.31. 8,570,861 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,783,027. The stock has a market cap of $35.82 billion, a PE ratio of 25.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.96. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a one year low of $27.87 and a one year high of $42.19. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $33.79 and a 200-day moving average of $33.41.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 54.65% and a net margin of 11.43%. The firm had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.33 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.33 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Matthew R. Bush sold 2,675 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total transaction of $95,631.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $765,586.25. The trade was a 11.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. NBT Bank N.A. bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 3rd quarter valued at $386,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 3rd quarter worth $126,000. Sage Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sage Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 17,088 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 800 shares during the period. Seamount Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter. Seamount Financial Group Inc. now owns 11,335 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $362,000 after buying an additional 1,331 shares during the period. Finally, Bell Bank lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.2% during the third quarter. Bell Bank now owns 48,159 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,539,000 after acquiring an additional 1,484 shares in the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill

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

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank maintained a Buy view while noting that Chipotle’s price increases have reached approximately 19.9% of its stores. Higher pricing could support revenue and margins, although investors will be watching whether it further affects customer traffic. Chipotle price hikes reach 19.9% of stores, Deutsche Bank says
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target to $40 from $45 but retained an Overweight rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Wells Fargo lowers Chipotle price target
• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle continues to benefit from industry-leading profitability, significant scale and a large company-owned restaurant base, characteristics highlighted in a comparison with Dutch Bros. Dutch Bros vs. Chipotle Mexican Grill
• Neutral Sentiment: Chipotle is scheduled to report quarterly results on October 28. Recent previews suggest expectations for an earnings beat may be limited, making same-store sales, traffic and management’s outlook key catalysts. Chipotle reports next week
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen downgraded CMG from Buy to Hold and cut its price target to $32 from $44, citing slowing sales and a weak start to October. The firm also warned that fourth-quarter and 2027 same-store sales could fall below consensus expectations. TD Cowen downgrades Chipotle
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option activity, with 80,695 puts purchased—about 61% above average daily volume—signals increased bearish hedging or speculation.
• Negative Sentiment: Persistent inflation and softer consumer demand continue to weigh on sales, while higher menu prices may not fully offset weaker traffic. The analyst actions have pushed CMG shares sharply lower and increased scrutiny of its valuation.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

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.