Chipotle Mexican Grill’s (CMG) Buy Rating Reiterated at TD Cowen

TD Cowen reissued their buy rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $44.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on CMG. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $48.00 to $44.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 13th. Northcoast Research cut Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, January 26th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $47.24.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 2.5%

Shares of CMG opened at $39.42 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $37.79 and its 200 day moving average is $38.89. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12-month low of $29.75 and a 12-month high of $59.09. The company has a market capitalization of $51.34 billion, a PE ratio of 34.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.99.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. The business 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CMG. Ascent Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 5,752 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $290,000 after acquiring an additional 214 shares during the period. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.6% in the third quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,703 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $224,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 3,454 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $194,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares during the period. Finally, Centurion Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,713 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $322,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the period. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.