Zacks Investment Researchยท2025-08-15 17:43Stock Performance & Valuation - Chipotle and Cava stocks have fallen to 52-week lows following lackluster Q2 results [2] - Year-to-date, Chipotle stock is down 30%, and Cava shares are down roughly 40%, underperforming the S&P 500's 10% return [12] - Cava's price-to-sales ratio is 680%, noticeably higher than the industry average of less than 100% and Chipotle's 480% [15] - Chipotle's stock trades at 3590% of forward earnings, a premium to benchmarks, while Cava trades at 12460% [14][15] Sales & Earnings Projections - Chipotle's total sales are expected to increase 7% this year and projected to rise another 13% in fiscal year 2026 to $1367 billion [8] - Chipotle's annual earnings are projected to increase 13% in fiscal year 2026 to $142 per share [8] - Cava's total sales are projected to increase over 20% in both fiscal year 2025 and 2026, edging towards $145 billion [10] - Cava's EPS is expected to be up 36% in fiscal year 2025 and increase another 17% the following year to $067 per share [11] Expansion & Strategy - Chipotle aims to reach 7000 North American locations, planning to open 345 new restaurants this year [4] - Chipotle is actively looking to expand in the Middle East through a partnership with the Alshaya Group [6] - Cava aims to reach 1000 restaurants by 2032 [7] - 80% of Chipotle's new stores will feature Chipotle lanes (mobile order drive-throughs) [6]