Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Stock Position in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) by 1.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,649,918 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,377 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.13% of Chipotle Mexican Grill worth $52,814,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Chipotle Mexican Grill News

Here are the key news stories impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle and Wendy’s said their restaurants were not affected by the cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce at some Taco Bell locations, easing fears that the issue would spread to other fast-casual chains. Reuters article on cyclosporiasis outbreak
• Positive Sentiment: Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Mexico, a long-awaited international debut that could expand the brand’s growth runway and support sentiment around future store growth. Reuters article on Mexico debut
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts and market commentary pieces framed CMG as having improving traffic and rewards growth, but also noted that valuation and margin pressure remain key debates for the stock. Yahoo Finance comparison article
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary said Chipotle still looks fully priced after its recent decline, suggesting valuation may limit upside even after the recent rebound. Yahoo Finance valuation article
• Negative Sentiment: At least one market update said Chipotle underperformed peers on Thursday, reinforcing that the stock has been volatile and is still recovering from a sharp year-to-date slide. MarketWatch underperformance article

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on CMG shares. Zacks Research raised Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $38.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Argus raised Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.86.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of CMG opened at $34.47 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $32.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.90. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a twelve month low of $28.03 and a twelve month high of $54.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.63, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.97.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 49.64%. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.29 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.13 EPS for the current year.

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.