BTIG Research Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG)

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by investment analysts at BTIG Research in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $45.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. BTIG Research’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 17.11% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on CMG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Gordon Haskett lowered Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $47.50.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Down 3.8%

CMG stock opened at $38.43 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $37.70 and a 200-day moving average of $38.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.99. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12 month low of $29.75 and a 12 month high of $59.09.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 12.88% and a return on equity of 47.99%. The business had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mission Wealth Management LP grew its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 14.6% during the fourth quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 8,368 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $310,000 after acquiring an additional 1,063 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,702,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter worth approximately $52,000. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter valued at $224,000. Finally, iA Global Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter valued at $11,062,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Chipotle Mexican Grill

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.