Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Acquires 78,832 Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group boosted its stake in Chipotle by 60% in Q3, purchasing 78,832 shares to hold 210,120 shares worth about $8.24 million at quarter-end.
• Chipotle slightly beat expectations for the quarter with EPS of $0.25 versus $0.24 and revenue of $2.98 billion (vs. $2.96B), with revenue up 4.9% year-over-year and strong profitability metrics (ROE 47.99%, net margin 12.88%).
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly positive (23 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell) with an average price target of $47.37; the stock trades near a $46.0B market cap with a PE of ~31 and a 12‑month range of $29.75–$58.42.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG - Free Report) by 60.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 210,120 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after buying an additional 78,832 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $8,235,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CMG. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $290,000 after acquiring an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.6% during the third quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,703 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. boosted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.4% in the second quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. now owns 76,358 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $4,288,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the period. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.9% in the third quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. now owns 14,632 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $573,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.8% in the third quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 37,391 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,465,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Down 0.1%

Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $35.33 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $38.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.77. The company has a market cap of $46.01 billion, a PE ratio of 30.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.00. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a twelve month low of $29.75 and a twelve month high of $58.42.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.25 EPS. Chipotle Mexican Grill's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CMG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho cut their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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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