Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Given New $49.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its price objective decreased by Morgan Stanley from $50.00 to $49.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. KeyCorp decreased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Northcoast Research downgraded shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. One investment analyst has 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $47.50.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:CMG opened at $39.87 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $37.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.98. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12-month low of $29.75 and a 12-month high of $59.09. The firm has a market cap of $52.72 billion, a PE ratio of 34.97, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.99.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.98 billion during 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 45.94%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CMG. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 6,763 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $250,000 after buying an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. Summit Wealth Group LLC Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter valued at $261,000. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. grew its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 109.1% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 11,288 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $418,000 after acquiring an additional 5,890 shares during the last quarter. Community Bank N.A. increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 43.9% in the 4th quarter. Community Bank N.A. now owns 42,615 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,577,000 after purchasing an additional 13,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Buttonwood Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,477,000. Institutional investors own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on EPS and revenue — Chipotle reported $0.25 EPS and $2.98B revenue, modestly above consensus; new restaurant openings helped top-line growth and margins held up. Zacks: Q4 Earnings & Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s long-term playbook reassures growth investors — CEO Scott Boatwright outlined a “Recipe for Growth” emphasizing technology, back‑of‑house efficiency, menu innovation and accelerated store/international expansion that could drive a multi‑year rebound. MarketBeat: Is Chipotle’s 2026 Playbook the Secret Sauce for a Reversal?
• Positive Sentiment: Positive media and pundit views underpin confidence — Forbes and TV commentators argued recent pessimism is overblown and highlighted the company’s capacity to outperform consensus over time. Forbes: Why Market Pessimism Appears Overblown
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts still see upside but recalibrated targets — several firms lowered targets yet kept Buy/Overweight calls (Citigroup nudged its target up to $49 while others trimmed theirs), leaving a mixed analyst picture. Benzinga: Analysts Slash Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong balance sheet and capital returns remain a stabilizer — management emphasized cash flow, share‑count reduction and capacity to invest, which supports longer‑term investor interest. PR Newswire: Q4 & Full‑Year Results / Recipe for Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Weak guidance and falling traffic pressured shares — Chipotle forecast roughly flat comparable sales for 2026 and reported the fourth straight quarter of declining transactions, which triggered after‑hours selling and investor concern about demand. CNBC: Stock Sinks on Falling Traffic, Weak Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term headwinds: margin pressure and macro sensitivity — commentary flagged rising costs and discretionary spending weakness that could keep comps muted and compress margins until traffic stabilizes. Reuters: Forecasts Weak Annual Sales, Margin Pressure

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.