Merit Financial Group LLC Increases Stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Merit Financial Group LLC has significantly increased its investment in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) by 20.8% during the fourth quarter, as revealed in its recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As of the latest filing, the fund holds 44,996 shares of the restaurant chain, having added 7,740 shares during this period. The value of Merit Financial's shares in Chipotle is approximately $2,713,000.

Several other institutional investors have made adjustments to their holdings in Chipotle as well. In the third quarter, Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC grew its stake by 1.2%, now owning 13,644 shares valued at $786,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. also increased its shareholdings by 1.2%, owning 14,625 shares worth $843,000 following an acquisition of 175 shares. Connable Office Inc. raised its position by 0.6%, currently holding 31,928 shares valued at $1,840,000 after buying an additional 178 shares. Meanwhile, Albion Financial Group UT increased its stake by 14.4%, owning 1,430 shares worth $82,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares. Lastly, CVA Family Office LLC added 8.7% to its holdings, owning 2,313 shares now valued at $133,000 after purchasing 185 shares in the last quarter. Overall, institutional investors own a substantial 91.31% of the company’s stock.

Recent Insider Trades

In related news, insider Laurie Schalow sold 4,404 shares of Chipotle stock on December 10th, with a sale price averaging $65.01 per share, totaling $286,304.04. Post-transaction, she retains 185,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,078,337.92, indicating a 2.32% decrease in her holdings. This trade was officially disclosed to the SEC.

Stock Performance Overview

As of Monday, Chipotle Mexican Grill's stock opened at $57.52. The company's 50-day moving average stands at $60.91, while the 200-day moving average is $57.85. Over the past year, Chipotle’s stock reached a low of $46.01 and a high of $69.26. Currently, the company's market capitalization is around $78.38 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.54 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91.

Chipotle recently released its earnings results on October 29th, reporting an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.27, surpassing analysts' predictions of $0.25. The company's net margin is recorded at 13.51%, with a return on equity of 43.20%. Chipotle reported quarterly revenue of $2.79 billion, which fell slightly short of analyst expectations of $2.82 billion but reflected a year-over-year growth of 13.0%. Analysts are predicting a future EPS of 1.11 for Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Market Analysts' Insights

Chipotle has been featured in various research reports lately. Truist Financial raised its price target from $72.00 to $74.00, recommending a “buy.” Wedbush maintained an “outperform” rating and set a $69.00 price target. Raymond James adjusted its price objective upward from $66.00 to $72.00, also giving a rating of “outperform.” Jefferies Financial Group raised its target from $56.00 to $62.00 while issuing a “hold” rating. Similarly, Loop Capital increased its price target from $53.00 to $58.00 and issued a “hold” rating. Currently, market sentiment remains positive, with ten analysts rating the stock as a hold and eighteen recommending a buy. The consensus rating for Chipotle Mexican Grill stands at “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $66.81.

Overview of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. operates a chain of restaurants selling a variety of food and beverages, including burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and salads. The company provides delivery services through its app and website, with operations spanning across the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Merit, Chipotle, Investments