Wells Fargo & Company Lowers Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Price Target to $45.00

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its price objective lowered by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $50.00 to $45.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 17.11% from the stock’s previous close.

CMG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $48.00 to $44.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 13th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $44.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Wednesday. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $47.50.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Down 3.8%

CMG stock opened at $38.43 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $37.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.98. The company has a market capitalization of $50.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.71, a price-to-earnings-growth 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.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $224,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 26,460 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,329,000 after buying an additional 1,368 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 5,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter valued at $421,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

Key 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

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.