Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Sells 152,068 Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. $CMG

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lessened its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) by 48.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 165,004 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 152,068 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $5,282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 309.6% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 903,100 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,908,000 after buying an additional 682,600 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.6% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 534,023 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $17,094,000 after buying an additional 8,522 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 19.8% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 16,478,248 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $527,469,000 after buying an additional 2,727,762 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP lifted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 97.0% in the first quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 981,540 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $31,419,000 after buying an additional 483,336 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 35.8% during the first quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 975,204 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $31,216,000 after acquiring an additional 256,957 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.30% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results beat expectations: Chipotle reported adjusted earnings of $0.33 per share, above the $0.32 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.3% year over year to $3.35 billion, slightly exceeding expectations. Chipotle: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable sales momentum improved: Comparable restaurant sales grew 2.2%, marking a second consecutive quarter of improving transaction trends. Value offers, menu updates and the company’s “Recipe for Growth” strategy helped attract diners in a competitive market. Chipotle raises annual sales forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year outlook was raised: Chipotle increased its comparable-sales guidance, signaling that management expects the second-quarter improvement to continue. The company also opened 100 restaurants during the quarter, supporting long-term revenue growth. Chipotle raises full-year comparable sales guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Food-safety concerns may be temporary: The company said it was not involved in the reported cyclospora outbreak, although fears related to a lettuce-linked illness reportedly reduced traffic in the second half of July. Chipotle lifts its sales forecast despite outbreak concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Margins remain a risk: Although sales and earnings exceeded estimates, investors continue to monitor labor costs, restaurant-level margins and whether late-July traffic softness persists. Chipotle’s earnings were roughly flat from the prior-year quarter at $0.33 per share. Chipotle stock rises after earnings edge past estimates

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on CMG shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $38.00 to $35.00 in a report on Friday, June 5th. BNP Paribas Exane upped their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Argus upgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings cut Chipotle Mexican Grill from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.86.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 2.4%

NYSE:CMG opened at $34.32 on Thursday. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 12 month low of $28.03 and a 12 month high of $44.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.49, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.61.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.33 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 49.64%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.33 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chipotle Mexican Grill 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.