Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on Chipotle, with 23 buy ratings and 10 holds among 33 firms. The average 12-month price target is $43.84.
• Chipotle’s latest quarterly results slightly exceeded expectations, reporting $0.33 in EPS versus a $0.32 consensus and $3.35 billion in revenue, up 9.3% year over year.
• Institutional investors own approximately 91.3% of the company, while an insider recently sold 2,675 shares at an average price of $35.75.

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the thirty-three ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twenty-three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $43.8393.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on CMG. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $36.00 price target (up from $35.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Friday, July 31st. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup cut their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $46.00 to $45.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Bank of America restated a "buy" rating and set a $53.00 price target (up from $50.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Tuesday, September 1st.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $36.96 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.77 billion, a PE ratio of 33.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.94. The firm's 50 day moving average is $34.92 and its 200 day moving average is $33.93. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 1 year low of $28.03 and a 1 year high of $42.81.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) last issued 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 business had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.33 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 54.65%. The firm's revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Chipotle Mexican Grill

In related news, insider Matthew R. Bush sold 2,675 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill 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 sale, the insider directly owned 21,415 shares in the company, valued at $765,586.25. This trade represents a 11.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.45% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 139.3% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 9,270 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $315,000 after acquiring an additional 5,396 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3,133.9% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 66,453,578 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $2,259,422,000 after purchasing an additional 64,398,656 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter worth $311,000. Saudi Central Bank increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 86.8% in the second quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 91,170 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $3,100,000 after purchasing an additional 42,363 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaGrep UK Ltd acquired a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter valued at $414,000. 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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