Piper Sandler Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Stock Price

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its target price dropped by stock analysts at Piper Sandler from $47.00 to $44.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Piper Sandler’s target price indicates a potential upside of 14.50% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Wednesday. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.00 to $49.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $47.50.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Down 3.8%

NYSE CMG opened at $38.43 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.99. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52-week low of $29.75 and a 52-week high of $59.09. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $37.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.98.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.96 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 47.99% and a net margin of 12.88%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.25 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 122.7% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 87,844,788 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,442,645,000 after purchasing an additional 48,398,628 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 144,588,220 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,349,764,000 after purchasing an additional 18,660,882 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,001,668,000. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 11,471,658 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sustainable Growth Advisers LP acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter worth $597,031,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

More Chipotle Mexican Grill News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on the top and bottom lines: Chipotle reported $0.25 EPS vs. $0.24 consensus and $2.98B revenue (vs. ~$2.96B est.), showing marginal outperformance and preserved profitability despite traffic weakness. Chipotle Q4 Earnings & Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive — Citigroup raised its price target to $49 (buy) and several firms kept buy/overweight ratings — signaling upside if execution improves. Analyst Price Target Moves (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Long‑term bull case: commentary from MarketBeat/Forbes/others highlights management’s 2026 playbook — heavier investment in tech, menu/back‑of‑house, accelerated new stores and international expansion — which could drive outsized upside over multiple years if traffic recovers. Is Chipotle’s 2026 Playbook the Secret Sauce for a Reversal?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation pieces and comparisons (e.g., BJ’s Restaurants vs. Chipotle) debate whether CMG is a value pick now — the stock trades at a lower multiple than recent highs, making it a case‑by‑case value proposition for investors. BJRI or CMG: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Influential voices (e.g., Jim Cramer) are publicly defending the name, which can temper downside if sentiment swings positive, but these views aren’t a substitute for concrete sales/traffic improvement. Jim Cramer on Chipotle
• Negative Sentiment: Weak 2026 guidance: management forecast flat comparable sales and noted continued declines in restaurant traffic (comp sales down ~2.5% in Q4), which is the primary driver of today’s weakness — cautious guidance increases execution risk and compresses near‑term multiple. Chipotle forecasts weak annual sales, margin pressure
• Negative Sentiment: Broad analyst pullback on near‑term outlook: multiple firms lowered price targets (Wells Fargo, Piper Sandler, KeyCorp, Barclays, Mizuho, Stifel, Telsey, etc.), reflecting trimmed growth/margin assumptions and pressuring investor sentiment. Chipotle Analysts Slash Their Forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/consumer risk: coverage highlights weaker dining traffic and cost pressures that could keep margins under pressure until customer frequency stabilizes, making near‑term earnings upside uncertain. CMG Earnings: Stock Falls on Weak Guidance

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.