Here’s Why ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Strategy Chose Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG)

Core Insights - ClearBridge Investments released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter for the ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Strategy, emphasizing investment in undervalued leading companies with growth potential [1] - Large-cap stocks showed strength in the quarter, driven by strong earnings from mega-cap companies and enthusiasm for generative AI, although the ClearBridge strategy underperformed the Russell 1000 Growth Index by approximately 900 basis points for the year [1] - The underperformance was attributed to underweight exposure to mega-cap AI beneficiaries and lower-quality AI-related names [1] Company-Specific Insights - Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) reported a one-month return of 11.47% but experienced a 32.89% decline in value over the last 52 weeks, with a market capitalization of $52.12 billion as of January 7, 2026 [2] - ClearBridge's strategy involved closing a position in Starbucks to concentrate on Chipotle, citing faster long-term store growth potential and better unit economics for Chipotle compared to Starbucks [3] - Chipotle's sales for the third quarter of 2025 grew by 7.5% to reach $3 billion, although it is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, with 65 hedge fund portfolios holding its stock at the end of the third quarter [4]