Sarasin & Partners LLP Sells 20,982 Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Sarasin & Partners LLP trimmed its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) by 28.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 52,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 20,982 shares during the period. Sarasin & Partners LLP’s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $1,768,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Chipotle Mexican Grill News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains intact. BTIG reaffirmed its “buy” rating with a $45 price target, while Argus also raised its target to $45, indicating analysts see substantial long-term upside if the outbreak is contained. BTIG rating update Argus price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle recently reported a quarterly earnings and revenue beat, with comparable sales returning to growth, supported by new menu items and a revamped rewards program. Chipotle quarterly performance analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Chipotle removed jalapeños from affected Minnesota restaurants, switched to an alternative supplier and is cooperating with health authorities. Management said its previously issued annual targets do not include any financial impact from the outbreak, leaving potential revisions uncertain. Chipotle annual targets and outbreak
• Negative Sentiment: The CDC has linked the outbreak to jalapeños served at Chipotle and other restaurants across 27 states. Reports of hundreds of illnesses are increasing concerns about potential legal costs, restaurant disruption, supplier scrutiny and damage to the brand’s food-safety reputation. Salmonella outbreak linked to Mexican jalapeños Chipotle stock and Salmonella outbreak
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning Chipotle’s valuation because higher food and labor costs have compressed restaurant-level margins and reduced net income and EPS, despite sales growth. A premium earnings multiple leaves less room for execution or reputational setbacks. Chipotle valuation and margin analysis

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on CMG shares. Stephens reaffirmed a “positive” rating and issued a $40.00 price target (up from $36.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $38.00 to $35.00 in a report on Friday, June 5th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $36.00 target price (up from $35.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Twenty-four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.16.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

NYSE CMG opened at $33.72 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $33.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.43. The stock has a market cap of $42.67 billion, a PE ratio of 30.94, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.94. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $28.03 and a fifty-two week high of $44.27.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 EPS 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 company had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.33 EPS. Chipotle Mexican Grill’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.