Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG Stock Holdings Lifted by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) by 269.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 31,117 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 22,691 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $994,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter valued at about $4,417,475,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 19.8% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 16,478,248 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $527,469,000 after buying an additional 2,727,762 shares during the period. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 23.3% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 11,980,192 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $383,486,000 after purchasing an additional 2,266,087 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 86.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,973,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $383,280,000 after buying an additional 5,541,385 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 30.6% during the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,845,627 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $368,751,000 after purchasing an additional 2,541,795 shares during the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Chipotle Mexican Grill News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle is bringing back its popular limited-time Smoked Brisket protein across the U.S. and Canada on November 5. The item has previously sold out, and the company is pairing the launch with football-season marketing, Family Meals and $0 delivery fees on qualifying orders through November 18. The promotion could support customer traffic, digital orders and average check size. Chipotle Smoked Brisket announcement
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital Markets flagged potential upside to Chipotle’s comparable sales, citing promotional activity and digital engagement as possible drivers. The bullish view provides support ahead of the earnings release, although it depends on evidence of improving traffic. RBC flags earnings upside
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts collectively rate CMG “Moderate Buy,” suggesting analysts see longer-term recovery or growth potential despite the recent share-price weakness. Chipotle analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter results are expected to focus on comparable-sales growth, customer traffic, restaurant expansion and profit margins. Investors are looking for signs that menu innovation and marketing are translating into sustainable sales momentum. Chipotle Q3 earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts view Chipotle as a growth-oriented restaurant concept with fresh-food positioning, menu innovation and expansion potential, but comparisons with McDonald’s highlight the uncertainty around valuation, traffic and margins. McDonald’s versus Chipotle analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Recent weakness reflects investor concerns that traffic challenges and margin pressures could limit near-term earnings growth. ETF net selling and CMG’s recent 52-week-low test add technical and sentiment pressure ahead of the report. Chipotle 52-week low and RBC outlook

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE CMG opened at $27.94 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $35.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.63 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $33.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.26. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a twelve month low of $27.31 and a twelve month high of $41.42.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.33 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on CMG. TD Cowen lowered Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the company from $44.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target (up from $40.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Stephens dropped their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $36.00 price target (up from $35.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $43.56.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chipotle Mexican Grill

In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, insider Matthew R. Bush sold 2,675 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total value of $95,631.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 21,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $765,586.25. This trade represents a 11.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.45% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc (NYSE: CMG) operates a chain of fast-casual restaurants focused on Mexican-inspired food. Its menu includes burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas and salads, with options such as chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas, sofritas and vegetables. The company emphasizes preparing food in its restaurants from ingredients it describes as responsibly sourced, including meats raised with attention to animal welfare and produce from selected suppliers.

Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Denver, Colorado.