What Analyst Projections for Key Metrics Reveal About Chipotle (CMG) Q3 Earnings

Core Insights - Wall Street analysts forecast Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) will report quarterly earnings of $0.28 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 3.7% [1] - Anticipated revenues are projected to be $3.02 billion, indicating an 8% increase compared to the same quarter last year [1] Earnings Projections - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised 3.4% lower over the last 30 days, indicating a reevaluation of initial estimates by analysts [2] - Changes in earnings projections are crucial for predicting investor reactions, with empirical studies showing a strong correlation between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock price movements [3] Revenue Estimates - Analysts expect 'Revenue- Food and beverage' to reach $3.00 billion, representing an 8.2% increase from the year-ago quarter [4] - 'Revenue- Delivery service' is projected to be $15.50 million, showing a slight decline of 0.3% from the previous year [5] Restaurant Metrics - The number of 'Company-operated restaurants at end of period' is expected to be 3,929, up from 3,615 a year ago [5] - Analysts forecast 'Company-operated restaurants opened' to reach 92, compared to 86 in the same quarter last year [6] - 'Company-operated restaurants at beginning of period' is projected to be 3,839, compared to 3,530 a year ago [6] Sales Performance - 'Comparable restaurant sales increase' is expected to be 0.7%, a significant decrease from the previous year's 6.0% [5] - The 'Average restaurant sales - TTM' is projected to be $3.13 million, down from $3.18 million in the same quarter last year [7] Stock Performance - Chipotle shares have increased by 6.3% in the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which moved up by 1.3% [7] - With a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), CMG is anticipated to underperform the overall market in the near future [7]