Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Stock

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had its price target lifted by stock analysts at Citigroup from $48.00 to $49.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Citigroup’s target price indicates a potential upside of 27.51% from the company’s current price.

CMG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. KeyCorp reduced their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $45.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Gordon Haskett lowered shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $47.50.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Down 3.8%

Shares of CMG stock opened at $38.43 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $37.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.81 billion, a PE ratio of 33.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.99. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52 week low of $29.75 and a 52 week high of $59.09.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 for 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 company’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.25 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CMG. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.1% in 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 in the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3,266.1% in the 3rd quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. now owns 14,676 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $575,000 after acquiring an additional 14,240 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 76.3% during the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 356,986 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $13,333,000 after acquiring an additional 154,512 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7.1% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,596,483 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $145,793,000 after acquiring an additional 171,466 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dillon & Associates Inc. raised its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5.1% during the second quarter. Dillon & Associates Inc. now owns 287,433 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $16,096,000 after acquiring an additional 14,037 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

More Chipotle Mexican Grill News

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.