Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Lowered to “Hold” Rating by Gordon Haskett

Gordon Haskett lowered shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Zacks Research raised Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Northcoast Research downgraded shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, December 29th. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Monday. Finally, Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $48.00 to $35.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $50.00.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Up 2.3%

NYSE:CMG opened at $40.10 on Thursday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12-month low of $29.75 and a 12-month high of $59.57. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $34.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 0.97.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.39% and a net margin of 13.04%.The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.27 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sarasin & Partners LLP lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.1% in the third quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 2,565,111 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $102,348,000 after purchasing an additional 27,366 shares in the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. grew its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3,266.1% in the third quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. now owns 14,676 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $575,000 after purchasing an additional 14,240 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 76.3% in the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 356,986 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $13,333,000 after buying an additional 154,512 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,579,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,596,483 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $145,793,000 after buying an additional 171,466 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: Telsey Advisory Group initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $50 price target — a fresh analyst endorsement that signals confidence in Chipotle’s growth story and likely helped buying interest. Telsey Initiation
• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target to $50 and kept a Buy view, another firm pushing upside expectations that supports the rally. Truist PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Chipotle’s strong earnings‑surprise history and the company’s setup to beat again, which bolsters confidence ahead of future reports. Zacks Earnings Beat Thesis
• Positive Sentiment: Product strategy: Chipotle’s push of higher‑protein menu options aimed at GLP‑1 users is being viewed by analysts as a demand catalyst and potential market share win among health‑focused consumers. Benzinga High‑Protein Push
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays and other brokers are publicly forecasting upside, adding to the positive analyst tone supporting the stock. Barclays Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating but cut its price target to $40 — a mixed signal that keeps medium‑term conviction but reduces near‑term upside. Bernstein Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho nudged its target to $38 with a Neutral rating, reflecting more cautious positioning by some sell‑side desks amid recent gains. Mizuho Note
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and momentum concerns: several pieces question whether the recent rebound has stretched pricing relative to fundamentals (P/E near decade lows versus past but still elevated vs. peers) — this commentary can cap upside and prompt profit‑taking. Yahoo: Pricing Stretched?
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/consumer risk: opinion pieces label Chipotle as a possible “value trap” if same‑store sales weakness persists; new federal nutrition guidelines also introduce uncertainty about dining‑out behavior. Fool: Value Trap Analysis CNBC: Nutrition Guidelines

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.