Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Now Covered by DA Davidson

Key Points

• DA Davidson initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $51 price target, implying roughly a 37.7% upside from the current share price.
• The analyst consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of $47.37; 23 analysts rate the stock Buy, 11 Hold and 1 Sell.
• Chipotle beat estimates in the latest quarter with EPS of $0.25 (vs. $0.24) and revenue of $2.98B (+4.9% YoY), and the stock trades near $37 with a market cap of about $48.2B.

Investment analysts at DA Davidson began coverage on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set a "buy" rating and a $51.00 price target on the restaurant operator's stock. DA Davidson's price objective suggests a potential upside of 37.69% from the stock's current price.

CMG has been the topic of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $47.37.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance

Shares of CMG stock opened at $37.04 on Friday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $38.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.95. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a one year low of $29.75 and a one year high of $58.42. The firm has a market cap of $48.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.00.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 47.99% and a net margin of 12.88%.The company had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Operose Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Lavaca Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter worth about $34,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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