Chipotle CEO Says Higher-Income Customers Give Company 'Confidence' To Keep Raising Prices: Report

Citigroup Inc. +1.57% Pre
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. +4.80% Pre
Morgan Stanley +0.54% Pre

Citigroup Inc.

C

107.35

107.35

+1.57%

0.00% Pre

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

CMG

34.08

34.08

+4.80%

0.00% Pre

Morgan Stanley

MS

155.70

155.70

+0.54%

0.00% Pre

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:CMG) CEO Scott Boatwright was caught on a recording stating the company plans to continue raising prices, citing demographic insights.

“We learned that 60% of our core users are over $100,000 a year in income,” Boatwright said in a viral video shared by X user @WallStreetApes. “That gives us confidence that we can lean into that group in a more meaningful way.”

The remarks came as Chipotle reported its fourth-quarter 2025 results on Feb. 3.

Earnings Beat Masks Operational Weakness

Beating earnings expectations, Chipotle reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.25, above the $0.24 consensus, with revenue of $2.98 billion, topping the $2.96 billion estimate.

However, comparable restaurant sales declined 2.5% year-over-year, driven by a 3.2% decrease in transactions, partially offset by 0.7% average check growth.

Analysts Cut Targets

Following the results, Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) raised its price target to $49 from $48 while maintaining a “Buy” rating. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) lowered its price target to $49 from $50 with an “Overweight” rating, while Mizuho cut to $37 from $38 with a “Neutral” rating.

Trading Metrics

Chipotle, the California-based fast-casual restaurant chain, has a market capitalization of $219.53 billion, with a 52-week high of $124.17 and a 52-week low of $55.51.

The stock has a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 53.13.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that CMG is experiencing long-term consolidation along with medium and short-term upward movement.

Photo: Shutterstock

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Every question you ask will be answered
Scan the QR code to contact us
whatsapp
Also you can contact us via