Stephens Reiterates Equal Weight Rating for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG)

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating reiterated by stock analysts at Stephens in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $35.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ target price would suggest a potential downside of 8.92% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.00 to $49.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 10th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised their price target on 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 given a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $47.50.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $38.43 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a fifty-two week low of $29.75 and a fifty-two week high of $59.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.71, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $37.70 and a 200 day moving average of $38.98.

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

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 144,588,220 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,349,764,000 after purchasing an additional 18,660,882 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position 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 in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.1% during the second 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 in the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories 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

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.