Forecasts

Chipotle (CMG) Price Prediction and Forecast 2025-2030

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 Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is a restaurant chain that has developed a big Gen-Z following, in addition to its die-hard loyal diners, who appreciate health-conscious menus that deliver a dining experience that is somewhere in between a fast food restaurant and fine dining. Chipotle offers burritos, tacos, and salads among other items that keep varying throughout the year. The company offers these products by sourcing organic produce and responsible ranched cows and chickens.

Headwinds and Challenges

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NY Knicks star forward Mikal Bridges told Sports Illustrated that he is such a fan of Chipotle that he has eaten there every day since 2013.
  • Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol, jumped ship to head up Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) in August. Chipotle investors are understandably worried about what happens to the company under new leadership. COO Scott Boatwright was named interim CEO for the time being. Chipotle stock plummeted as low as 11% on the news and as low as 17% from July 1st, but has since slowly begun regaining ground in fits and starts.
  • Forbes reported in July that Niccol confirmed at least 10% of Chipotle outlets were skimping on portion sizes to cut costs, confirming negative rumors that had circulated in social media.
  • Chipotle’s late June 50:1 forward stock split has added millions of shares to the float, making a price rise more difficult due to dilution.
  • Minimum wage price hikes in various states, but especially California have yet to adversely impact Chipotle revenues to a noticeable degree, but some analysts expect this to have a delayed attrition effect.

Nevertheless, investors are much more concerned with future stock performance over the next 1, 5, to 10 years. Although most Wall Street analysts will calculate 12-month forward projections, it’s clear that nobody has a consistent crystal ball, and plenty of unforeseen circumstances can render even near term prognostications irrelevant. 24/7 Wall Street aims to present some farther looking insights based on Chipotle’s own numbers, along with business and market development information that may be of help to our readers’ own research.

Key Points In This Article:

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Chipotle stock has gained over 300% in the past decade.
  • Chipotle’s new Autocado robot has demonstrated the ability to process an avocado for guacamole in 26 seconds. 
  • The cobotic (collaborative robotic) Augmented Makeline, co-developed with Hyphen, leverages automation to assemble bowls and salads, while employees continue to prepare burritos, tacos, quesadillas and kids’ meals.
  • Menu changes, such as a recent resumption of smoked brisket entrees after a three-year hiatus, and other offerings, are part of future marketing and expansion strategies.
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Chipotle’s new Autocado robot has demonstrated the ability to process an avocado for guacamole in 26 seconds.
  • In 2015, Chipotle expanded its mobile strategy through delivery partnerships with tech startups like Tapingo, a delivery service that targets college campuses.
  • Brian Niccol assumed the CEO role in 2018 and moved Chipotle HQ from Denver, CO to Newport Beach, CA.
  • A The Wall Street Journal article in July, 2023 noted the chain would focus on opening 700-800 new locations in small towns and cities as part of its plan to expand by nearly 3,800 locations, in territory traditionally dominated by chains like McDonald’s and Applebee’s.
Fiscal Year (Dec) Price Total Revenues Net Income
(Price reflects 6/2024 50:1 forward split)
2014 $13.69 $4.108 B $445.4 M
2015 $ 9.60 $4.501 B $475.6 M
2016 $7.55 $3.904 B $ 22.9 M
2017 $5.78 $4.476 B $176.3 M
2018 $8.64 $4.865 B $176.6 M
2019 $16.74 $5.586 B $350.2 M
2020 $27.73 $5.984 B $355.8 M
2021 $34.97 $7.547 B $653 M
2022 $27.75 $8.634 B $899.1 M
2023 $45.74 $9.871 B $1.228 B
2024 TTM (Jun) $62.65 $10.663 B $1.410 B

Key Drivers for Chipotle’s Future

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Chipotle’s growth can take a big step forward once their international divisions get more traction.
  • Chipotle’s collaboration with Vebu to create its Autocado avocado prep robot can drastically reduce guacamole prep time and free up employees for finer tasks. Chipotle uses 129.5 million pounds of avocados per year. 
  • The Augmented Makeline JV with Hyphen automates bowl and salad meal preparation, leaving other employees free to prepare more complex entrees and better customer interaction focus. Around 65% of all digital orders at the Chipotle outlets are for bowls or salads, and this tech will enhance employee productivity and ensure the accuracy of these orders.
  • Once fully integrated into the Chipotle food preparation process, these robots will become crucial in states with a higher minimum wage. If the company successfully implements its ‘cobots’, it would help it save costs on a massive scale.
  • Chipotle’s investment in online ordering and delivery has also paid off, leading to larger average sales per transaction, a margin that should continue to improve in the future.
  • Chipotle’s focus on introducing new menu items and special promotions helps maintain customer interest and keeps the brand fresh

Stock Price Prediction for 2025

The consensus rating from over 30 Wall Street analysts is “buy/outperform”. The average price target in 12-months is $61.93, which is roughly up 2.4% from today’s price.

24/7 Wall Street’s 12-month projection for Chipotle’s price is $67.60, which would be a 11.8% gain. We believe that Brian Niccol’s departure will not impact Chipotle’s revenues and earnings to a significant extent, and that the strong corporate infrastructure that has maintained the growth pace for the last 5 years is resilient enough to continue. 

Chipotle’s Next 5 Years’ Outlook

247 Wall Street

Chipotle’s international expansion efforts in Europe and Canada are expected to gain traction in 2026. The company’s digital ordering platform should mature at this point where it can potentially account for over 50% of sales and drive higher margins. Our target price of $69.30 would be a small $1.70 gain, or 2.5%.

2027 could see Chipotle using data analytics and A.I.  to personalize customer experiences and optimize marketing efforts. The company might also explore new store formats to penetrate urban markets more effectively, potentially boosting revenue and stock performance. The Middle East initiative with Alshaya in Kuwait should finally be able to kickstart, creating an entirely new customer demographic for all of Chipotle’s offerings, except for carnitas, which would be haram (prohibited under Sharia law) as it is pork. A $78.40 target price would represent a gain of 13.13% 

Appealing to eco-conscious consumers and potentially reducing long-term costs through sustainable packaging and renewable energy could be another profit center by 2028. Chipotle  might also introduce more plant-based protein options to cater to changing dietary preferences. A gain of 9.48%, would be realized by Chipotle at a projected $85.84 price.

In 2029, Chipotle may focus on vertical integration, potentially acquiring some of its suppliers to ensure quality control and reduce costs. From a logistical perspective, owning crucial local supply chain components, especially for overseas clients, can be a risk mitigation tool. By eschewing long distance imports for its menu supplies and placing itself at the mercy of its suppliers, Taking the proactive course would make for a further strategy of better engagement to adapt to international outlets’ cultural differences, a highly important head of state, etc. Chipotle could also explore augmented reality for employee training and customer engagement, which would enhance operational efficiency. Our stock price target of $96.25.

Chipotle’s Stock in 2030

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By 2030, Chipotle might introduce fully automated outlets in select locations, significantly reducing labor costs. The cobots would by this time have been successfully integrated into food prep and fully automated 24/7 drive throughs could still have a sufficient margin, thanks to reduced labor cost requirements.

The company could also expand its catering services, targeting corporate clients for B2B,  and potentially opening up new revenue streams.  Our price target is $102.08, which would be a 68.72% cumulative 5-year gain.

Year P/E Ratio  EPS Price
2025 52 $1.30 $67.60
2026 45 $1.54 $69.30
2027 40 $1.96 $78.40
2028 37 $2.32 $85.84
2029 35 $2.75 $96.25
2030 32 $3.19 $102.08

 

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