Natixis Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC cut its stake in Chipotle by 56.0% in Q3, selling 967,269 shares and retaining 759,693 shares (about 0.06% of the company) worth roughly $29.8 million.
• Chipotle posted a slight quarterly beat with $0.25 EPS versus $0.24 expected and revenue of $2.98B (+4.9% YoY); the stock trades around $34.69 with a market cap of ~$45.2B and is down sharply from its 52-week high.
• Analyst and market sentiment is mixed-to-negative — the consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $47.37 target (23 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell), but downgrades, a Zacks "Strong Sell" listing and concerns about softer comps and macro pressure are weighing on the shares.

Natixis Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG - Free Report) by 56.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 759,693 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 967,269 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned 0.06% of Chipotle Mexican Grill worth $29,772,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of 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 worth $290,000 after acquiring an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the fourth quarter valued at about $224,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5.5% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 26,460 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,329,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5.3% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,771 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $885,000 after purchasing an additional 796 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc lifted its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 276.6% during the second quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 39,302 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $2,207,000 after purchasing an additional 28,865 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.30% of the company's stock.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

NYSE:CMG opened at $34.69 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a one year low of $29.75 and a one year high of $58.42. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $38.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.71. The stock has a market cap of $45.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.00.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.25 earnings per share. Chipotle Mexican Grill's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Chipotle Mexican Grill News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly said he’d buy CMG on the pullback, offering short-term investor confidence from a televised market voice. Jim Cramer on Chipotle
• Positive Sentiment: A retrospective piece showing huge long-term gains for early Chipotle investors underscores the company’s historical growth and franchise economics — a reminder some investors cite when evaluating a buy-the-dip case. 20-year return analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Chipotle is running a one-hour BOGO marketing flash on March 13 tied to a Swae Lee promotion — positive for customer engagement but unlikely to materially change near-term comps. BOGO promotion
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson initiated research coverage on CMG — new coverage can increase analyst attention and liquidity but impact depends on the stance of the report. DA Davidson coverage start
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks placed CMG on its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list, a formal downgrade that can pressure sentiment and trigger algorithmic or fund-level selling. Zacks Strong Sell addition
• Negative Sentiment: Reporting highlights declining same-store sales and softer foot traffic while Chipotle presses ahead with plans to open hundreds of new restaurants — a combination that raises investor concerns about timing expansion amid weakening demand. Softer sales vs expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Macro pressure: a weak U.S. jobs report triggered a restaurant-sector sell-off that pulled CMG lower and prompted fresh valuation scrutiny — amplifies downside risk if consumer spending remains soft. Industry sell-off analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces note CMG is down sharply from its 52-week high and question whether recent comps declines are cyclical or structural — creating debate that can keep volatility elevated. Fool: Down >40% from high

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CMG. Mizuho lowered their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $47.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.