Ethic Inc. Lowers Holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Ethic Inc. decreased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) by 21.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 114,573 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 30,702 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $4,490,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.1% during the third quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 2,565,111 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $102,348,000 after buying an additional 27,366 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 76.3% in the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 356,986 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $13,333,000 after acquiring an additional 154,512 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 32.4% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 75,368 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,784,000 after acquiring an additional 18,458 shares in the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,579,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,596,483 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $145,793,000 after purchasing an additional 171,466 shares during the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CMG opened at $37.04 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $34.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.78, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.99. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 52-week low of $29.75 and a 52-week high of $61.16.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.29. The firm had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.06 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.04% and a return on equity of 45.39%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.27 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on CMG shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $40.00 price objective (down from $60.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $40.00 price target (down previously from $52.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.81.

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.