KBC Group NV Has $25 Million Stock Holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Key Points

• KBC Group NV trimmed its stake in Chipotle by 5.8% to 675,615 shares—worth about $25 million—at the end of the quarter, while institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own roughly 91.3% of CMG.
• Analysts hold a consensus “Moderate Buy” on CMG with an average target of $47.13 (24 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell), though some firms like Citigroup and Morgan Stanley recently trimmed their price targets.
• Chipotle slightly beat quarterly estimates with $0.25 EPS vs. $0.24 expected and $2.98B revenue (up 4.9% YoY); the stock trades near $35.71 with a 52-week range of $29.75–$58.42 and a P/E of ~31.3.

KBC Group NV trimmed its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG - Free Report) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 675,615 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 41,903 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV owned approximately 0.05% of Chipotle Mexican Grill worth $24,998,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 125,927,338 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $4,935,092,000 after purchasing an additional 2,470,213 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 122.7% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 87,844,788 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $3,442,645,000 after purchasing an additional 48,398,628 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 42.4% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 38,497,927 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,509,043,000 after acquiring an additional 11,471,658 shares during the last quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 17.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 12,495,638 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $489,704,000 after acquiring an additional 1,862,855 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 24.7% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 11,433,637 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $448,084,000 after acquiring an additional 2,265,122 shares during the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $49.00 to $44.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, March 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, December 29th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-four 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $47.13.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CMG opened at $35.71 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $46.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 52-week low of $29.75 and a 52-week high of $58.42. The company's 50 day moving average price is $34.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.37.

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

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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