Group 1 - Chipotle is considered one of the best-in-class options among fast casual dining firms, despite its recent stock performance [1] - The stock price has decreased from over $60 per share to around $34 per share in the past year, losing roughly 50% of its value [2] - Chipotle's management plans to buy back an additional $1.8 billion of its own stock, which represents a significant portion of its market capitalization of $45 billion, offering a relative yield of around 4% for current investors [4] Group 2 - Chipotle's fundamentals have weakened, with growth slowing compared to previous quarters, indicating a decline from its status as a high-margin, fast-growing quick service restaurant [5] - The company's gross margin is around 13.6%, and while return-on-equity and return-on-assets appear solid, the forward price-to-earnings multiple has decreased to below 30 times, leading some investors to view the stock as overvalued [6] - The departure of Chipotle's CEO to Starbucks has impacted the company's stock performance and has intensified competition for top talent in the industry [7]