Stifel Nicolaus Lowers Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Price Target to $45.00

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its price target dropped by Stifel Nicolaus from $50.00 to $45.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.11% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Wednesday. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $52.00 to $45.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $58.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. One investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $47.50.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

NYSE:CMG opened at $38.43 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52-week low of $29.75 and a 52-week high of $59.09. The company has a market cap 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. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.98.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.96 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 47.99% and a net margin of 12.88%.The business’s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CMG. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 14.8% in the fourth 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. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 122.7% in the 3rd 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. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 42.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 38,497,927 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,509,043,000 after buying an additional 11,471,658 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 33,111,508 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,859,211,000 after buying an additional 606,190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 29,659,508 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,657,193,000 after buying an additional 325,926 shares during the period. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.