Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) Short Interest Up 19.6% in February

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 36,521,145 shares, a growth of 19.6% from the January 29th total of 30,528,793 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 24,933,160 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days. Currently, 2.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Currently, 2.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 24,933,160 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

NYSE:CMG traded down $0.25 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $36.69. The company had a trading volume of 11,261,997 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,450,104. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a fifty-two week low of $29.75 and a fifty-two week high of $58.42. The business’s fifty day moving average is $38.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.97. The firm has a market cap of $47.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.00.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.96 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 47.99% and a net margin of 12.88%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.25 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on CMG. Barclays reduced their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, December 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $47.24.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Operose Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. 91.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.