Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) Upgraded by Cfra to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Cfra upgraded shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have $73.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock, up from their previous target price of $59.00.

CMG has been the subject of a number of other reports. Loop Capital upped their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $53.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $70.00 to $69.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.31.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CMG opened at $57.54 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 1-year low of $47.98 and a 1-year high of $69.26. The company’s fifty day moving average is $60.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.27.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.51% and a return on equity of 43.20%. Sell-side analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, insider Laurie Schalow sold 4,404 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.01, for a total value of $286,304.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 185,792 shares in the company, valued at $12,078,337.92. This trade represents a 2.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CMG. Transcendent Capital Group LLC raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 950.0% during the 3rd quarter. Transcendent Capital Group LLC now owns 525 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 475 shares during the period. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the third quarter valued at $32,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1,110.0% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 605 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 555 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.31% of the company’s stock.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

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.