Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for CMG Earnings

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report issued on Tuesday, February 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the restaurant operator will post earnings per share of $0.24 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.28. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Chipotle Mexican Grill’s current full-year earnings is $1.29 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.33 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.29 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.29 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.15 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.38 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.34 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.32 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.35 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.55 EPS.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.98 billion during 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 was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.25 earnings per share.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on CMG. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $47.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $44.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Northcoast Research lowered shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $47.24.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of CMG opened at $37.97 on Thursday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a twelve month low of $29.75 and a twelve month high of $58.42. The company has a market cap of $49.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $38.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.34.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of CMG. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 25.7% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 9,638,510 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $356,625,000 after buying an additional 1,970,870 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 18.7% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 304,414 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $11,263,000 after acquiring an additional 47,987 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 64.1% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 266,476 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $9,863,000 after purchasing an additional 104,070 shares during the period. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 102,101 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,778,000 after acquiring an additional 1,978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FAS Wealth Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 12.2% during the fourth quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 42,889 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,587,000 after acquiring an additional 4,668 shares during the last quarter. 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: Chipotle is rolling out AI‑driven personalization to re‑engage lapsed customers and lift loyalty/digital sales — a potential tailwind for same‑store sales and higher margin digital orders. Is Chipotle Leveraging AI to Reengage Lapsed Customers?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary: a Motley Fool write‑up says CMG is “interesting” but suggests Dutch Bros as a preferred growth pick — an opinion piece that could redirect some retail interest but doesn’t change fundamentals. Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Is Interesting, but Here’s What I’d Buy Instead
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued multiple downward EPS revisions across Q1–Q4 2026 and into 2027/2028 and cut FY2026 to ~$1.15 and FY2027 to ~$1.35 (from higher prior estimates), while maintaining a “Strong Sell” rating — a clear negative catalyst that likely prompted selling and pressured the stock. MarketBeat: CMG coverage

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.