Chipotle Mexican Grill falls after flat comparable sales forecast

Investing.com -- Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE: CMG) beat quarterly profit and revenue estimates but forecast flat comparable sales for 2026, undershooting Wall Street expectations and sending its shares 8% lower after hours.

The burrito chain reported fourth-quarter earnings of $0.25 per share, topping analysts’ estimates by $0.01.

Revenue rose 4.9% from a year earlier to $3 billion, ahead of the $2.96 billion consensus.

Comparable restaurant sales growth slowed, and the company’s outlook pointed to further pressure.

Chipotle said it expects full-year comparable sales in 2026 to be about flat, compared with Street’s expectations for roughly 1.9% growth, as consumers remain cautious on discretionary spending.

Management said Chipotle plans to open between 350 and 370 new restaurants in 2026, including 10 to 15 international partner-operated locations.

About 80% of company-owned restaurants are expected to feature a Chipotlane, the company’s drive-through format aimed at supporting digital and pickup orders.

The company also guided to an underlying effective tax rate of 24% to 26% for the full year, before discrete items.

Though revenue growth exceeded expectations on continued at a time when diners have increasingly pulled back on eating out amid economic uncertainty.

For the quarter, revenue growth of 4.9% compared with analysts’ expectations for a 4.2% rise.

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