Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Price Target Cut to $36.00 by Analysts at BNP Paribas Exane

Key Points

• BNP Paribas Exane lowered Chipotle’s price target from $39 to $36 while maintaining a neutral rating; the new target implies 14.78% upside from the reported $31.36 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 27 Buy ratings and 10 Holds, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average target price of $42.68.
• Chipotle’s latest quarter showed revenue rising 9.6% year over year to $3.29 billion, although adjusted earnings of $0.27 per share missed the $0.29 consensus estimate.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) had its target price decreased by research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $39.00 to $36.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. BNP Paribas Exane's price objective indicates a potential upside of 14.78% from the stock's current price.

CMG has been the subject of several other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $40.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $42.00 to $39.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $43.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday. Argus upped their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.68.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

CMG stock traded up $2.63 during trading on Thursday, reaching $31.36. 24,000,953 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,992,393. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.21. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12 month low of $27.31 and a 12 month high of $41.42. The company has a market capitalization of $39.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.96.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The restaurant operator reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $3.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 54.65% and a net margin of 11.43%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, insider Matthew R. Bush sold 2,675 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total transaction of $95,631.25. Following the transaction, the insider owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $765,586.25. This represents a 11.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.45% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Osbon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Rule One Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chipotle Mexican Grill News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sales and traffic improved. Third-quarter comparable-restaurant sales rose 2.1%, marking the third consecutive quarter of positive transaction growth. Revenue increased 9.6% year over year to $3.29 billion, roughly in line with or slightly above expectations, as value promotions and limited-time offerings attracted customers. Chipotle beats quarterly sales expectations on resilient demand
• Positive Sentiment: Investors see potential for a continued turnaround. Chipotle opened 84 company-owned restaurants during the quarter, while its loyalty program surpassed 24 million members. Management also plans to accelerate technology and menu innovation in 2027. The upcoming brisket launch is viewed as an important test of whether the company can sustain sales momentum. Chipotle: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain bullish. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an Outperform rating with a $51 target, while BTIG Research and DA Davidson maintained Buy ratings with $45 targets. These targets suggest substantial upside based on the company’s sales recovery and long-term restaurant expansion opportunity.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

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.

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