Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Stock Price

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its target price increased by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $37.00 to $39.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 13.63% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently commented on CMG. Guggenheim cut their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Argus raised shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.04.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of CMG stock opened at $34.32 on Thursday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a twelve month low of $28.03 and a twelve month high of $44.54. The stock has a market cap of $44.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.49, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s fifty day moving average is $32.65 and its 200 day moving average is $34.61.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.33 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 49.64%. Chipotle Mexican Grill’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.33 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CMG. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $290,000 after buying an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter worth $224,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 26,460 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,329,000 after acquiring an additional 1,368 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7,176.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,819 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,794 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC raised its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 88.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 274,375 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $15,406,000 after purchasing an additional 129,066 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill

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

• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle reported second-quarter revenue of $3.35 billion, up 9.3% year over year and slightly above estimates, while adjusted earnings of $0.33 per share exceeded the consensus forecast of $0.32. Chipotle raises annual sales forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable restaurant sales increased 2.2%, with transactions improving for a second consecutive quarter. Value offerings, menu updates and Chipotle’s broader “Recipe for Growth” strategy appear to be helping attract customers in a competitive restaurant market. Chipotle raises full-year comparable sales guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year comparable-sales forecast, signaling confidence that second-quarter momentum can continue. The company also opened 100 restaurants during the quarter, supporting longer-term unit and revenue growth. Chipotle Mexican Grill posts higher sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Chipotle said it was not involved in the reported cyclospora outbreak, limiting the potential for direct reputational or regulatory damage. However, management acknowledged that related fears affected customer traffic late in July. Chipotle stock rises after earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Investors still face risks from softer late-July traffic, value-conscious consumers and pressure from labor and operating costs. Commentary noting margin challenges could limit the benefit of the earnings and sales beats. Chipotle lifts its sales forecast

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.