StockNews.com Upgrades Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) to Buy

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on CMG. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $74.60 target price on the stock. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $65.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $67.16 to $67.38 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $66.00 to $69.70 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $64.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $64.02.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Chipotle Mexican Grill stock traded down $3,217.19 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $65.85. The stock had a trading volume of 27,209,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,180,815. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a fifty-two week low of $35.37 and a fifty-two week high of $69.26. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $127.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $78.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.81 billion, a PE ratio of 1.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.25.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The restaurant operator reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.04. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 43.74% and a net margin of 12.70%. The firm had revenue of $2.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 55.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill

In related news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 320,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.72, for a total transaction of $20,409,003.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,133,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $72,221,620.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, COO Scott Boatwright sold 55,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.80, for a total transaction of $3,509,176.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 120,600 shares in the company, valued at $7,694,665.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 320,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.72, for a total value of $20,409,003.52. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,133,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $72,221,620.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 550,750 shares of company stock worth $35,023,769. 1.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Steph & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 225.0% in the 1st quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 13 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 1st quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. 91.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It sells food and beverages through offering burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company also provides delivery and related services its app and website. It has operations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.