Chipotle Mexican Grill
CMGMarket price data through November 12, 2026.
Performance
Nov 2021 – Nov 2026
Track record
How this pick has done since Benson first called it.
- Benson Return
- -35%
- How much this stock is up since Benson first picked it — measured from the price at the time of that first pick, not from today.
- First pick price
- ~$54
- Roughly what one share cost when Benson first picked this stock. This is the starting line for the Benson Return.
- Tracking since
- September 2024
- The month this stock first became a Benson pick.
- Tracking duration
- 26 months
- How long Benson has been tracking this pick.
About Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle is the burrito and bowl chain you have probably eaten at, with more than 4,200 restaurants across the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, and South Korea. It works like a build-your-own meal line where you pick every ingredient, and nearly 39% of food sales now come through the app, the website, or delivery. Chipotle owns and runs every restaurant in the US, Canada, and Europe, and partners run its newer international locations.
The case for and against
Both sides of the story, in plain English.
- Traffic Streak
More people are walking through the door, and it is no longer a one-time blip. Customer visits grew 0.8% this quarter, the third quarter in a row of gains, and sales at existing restaurants rose 2.1%. Total revenue climbed 9.6% to 3.3 billion dollars, and digital orders grew to 38.8% of food sales from 36.7% a year ago.
- Build Out Beast
Chipotle opened 84 restaurants this quarter, and 53 of them have a Chipotlane, a drive-through pickup lane that brings in more sales and profit. It also entered three new international markets and opened five partner-run restaurants overseas. The plan calls for 350 to 370 openings this year, then another 340 to 360 in the US and Canada in 2027, plus 15 to 25 more abroad.
- Margin Squeeze
Chipotle is selling more but keeping less. The share of each sales dollar it keeps as profit slipped to 13.7% from 15.9% a year ago as wages, insurance, beef, and freight costs all climbed. Net income fell to about 340 million dollars from 382 million, and profit per share dropped 6.9% to 27 cents, even though revenue grew nearly 10%.
- Overhead Creep
Corporate spending jumped to 185 million dollars this quarter from about 147 million a year ago, driven by stock awards, bonuses, and outside help on company projects. Labor costs also rose to 25.7% of revenue from 25.2%. Until that spending turns into faster sales, profits will keep lagging behind the restaurant growth.
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How to read this page
This automated research summary uses Financial Modeling Prep market data through 2026-11-12. Model signals, scores, and risk labels can change and may be incomplete or wrong.
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