Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 262,420 Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) by 14.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,600,143 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 262,420 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.12% of Chipotle Mexican Grill worth $62,710,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,583 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 376 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 27.7% in the third quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 10,944 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $429,000 after buying an additional 2,376 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service grew its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.3% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 3,362,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $131,763,000 after acquiring an additional 74,335 shares during the last quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.1% during the third quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 212,201 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $8,316,000 after acquiring an additional 4,370 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foundations Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 37.3% during the third quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 7,446 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $292,000 after acquiring an additional 2,024 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on CMG. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.23.

More Chipotle Mexican Grill News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results slightly beat expectations — EPS $0.25 vs. $0.24 est. and revenue $2.98B vs. $2.96B, with full-year revenue up ~5.4%, showing underlying top-line resilience helped by new-unit growth. PR Newswire: Q4 & FY2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management launched a “Recipe for Growth” initiative focused on boosting transactions via accuracy, efficiency and speed — a concrete operational plan that could help restore traffic and margins over time. PR Newswire: Recipe for Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle plans modest menu price increases (1–2%) this year targeting higher-income “core” customers, which should help margin recovery if traffic stabilizes. Business Insider: Price Increases
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and promotions (a Game Day app activation and free‑food codes) aim to drive app engagement and visits, but their short-term impact on comp sales is uncertain. PR Newswire: Game Day Activation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are mixed — some (e.g., Jim Cramer) see the low share price as a potential buying opportunity even if the quarter isn’t stellar. Market rotation and macro headlines are also influencing intraday moves. Insidermonkey: Jim Cramer Comment
• Negative Sentiment: Same-store sales and customer traffic fell for the fourth straight quarter — a key demand signal that pressures revenue-per-store and long-term growth expectations. WSJ: Revenue Rises Despite Decline in Transactions
• Negative Sentiment: Management set 2026 comparable‑sales guidance at “about flat,” below investor hopes for a rebound — that weak outlook was the main catalyst for the after‑hours drop in the stock. CNBC: Stock Sinks on Weak Guidance

Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance

CMG opened at $39.10 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $29.75 and a fifty-two week high of $59.19. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $37.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.60, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.99.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.96 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.04% and a return on equity of 45.39%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Chipotle Mexican Grill 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.