Merit Financial Group LLC Purchases 81,092 Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in Chipotle by 146.3%, acquiring an additional 81,092 shares in Q4 to hold 136,506 shares valued at about $5.05 million.
• Chipotle beat Q4 expectations with $0.25 EPS versus $0.24 and revenue of $2.98B (up 4.9% YoY), displaying strong profitability (ROE 47.99%, net margin 12.88%); analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $47.13 target (24 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell).
• Shares opened at $35.71, implying a market cap of $46.51B and a PE of 31.32, with a 12‑month range of $29.75 to $58.42.

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG - Free Report) by 146.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 136,506 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after acquiring an additional 81,092 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $5,051,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $290,000 after acquiring an additional 214 shares during the period. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.6% in the third quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,703 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the period. Centurion Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,713 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $322,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the period. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $573,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares during the period. Finally, Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc raised 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 buying an additional 280 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.30% of the company's stock.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE CMG opened at $35.71 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $34.97 and its 200 day moving average is $36.35. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.75 and a 12 month high of $58.42. The stock has a market cap of $46.51 billion, a PE ratio of 31.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.06.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.25 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on CMG shares. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price objective 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Chipotle Mexican Grill from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Twenty-four equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $47.13.

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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