What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for CMG Q1 Earnings?

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report issued on Tuesday, February 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the restaurant operator will earn $0.24 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.28. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Chipotle Mexican Grill’s current full-year earnings is $1.29 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.33 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.29 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.29 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.15 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.38 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.34 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.32 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.35 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.55 EPS.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 net margin of 12.88% and a return on equity of 47.99%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.25 earnings per share.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup upped their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $47.24.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

NYSE:CMG opened at $38.77 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.35. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a fifty-two week low of $29.75 and a fifty-two week high of $58.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.99.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in 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 worth $290,000 after buying an additional 214 shares during the period. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,703 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,713 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $322,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.4% in the second quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. now owns 76,358 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,288,000 after acquiring an additional 269 shares during the period. Finally, Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.9% during the third quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. now owns 14,632 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $573,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.