Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG Shares Sold by Capital Group Private Client Services Inc.

Key Points

• Capital Group Private Client Services cut its stake in Chipotle by 73.7% in Q3, selling 755,299 shares and leaving it with 269,467 shares worth about $10.56 million.
• Chipotle's latest quarter beat expectations with $0.25 EPS vs. $0.24 and $2.98 billion in revenue (up 4.9% year-over-year), with a strong profitability profile (ROE 47.99%, net margin 12.88%).
• Street sentiment is a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $47.37 average price target (23 Buys / 11 Holds / 1 Sell), and institutional investors own roughly 91.3% of the stock.

Capital Group Private Client Services Inc. cut its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG - Free Report) by 73.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 269,467 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 755,299 shares during the quarter. Capital Group Private Client Services Inc.'s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $10,560,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Operose Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Lavaca Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 106.7% during the third quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 775 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.30% of the company's stock.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:CMG opened at $35.33 on Tuesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 52 week low of $29.75 and a 52 week high of $58.42. The stock's fifty day moving average is $38.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 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 for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.96 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 47.99% and a net margin of 12.88%.The company's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.25 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CMG. Zacks Research cut shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Mizuho reduced their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $47.37.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

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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