A Closer Look at Chipotle Mexican Grill's Options Market Dynamics

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG.

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with CMG, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 37 uncommon options trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 24% bullish and 75%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 11 are puts, for a total amount of $5,023,679, and 26 are calls, for a total amount of $3,227,320.

Projected Price Targets

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $2330.0 to $4100.0 for Chipotle Mexican Grill over the last 3 months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Chipotle Mexican Grill's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Chipotle Mexican Grill's whale trades within a strike price range from $2330.0 to $4100.0 in the last 30 days.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill is the largest fast-casual chain restaurant in the United States, with systemwide sales of $9.9 billion in 2023. The Mexican concept is predominately company-owned (it recently inked a development agreement with Alshaya Group in the Middle East), with a footprint of nearly 3,440 stores at the end of 2023, heavily indexed to the United States, although the firm maintains a small presence in Canada, the U.K., France, and Germany. Chipotle sells burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and beverages, with a selling proposition built around competitive prices, high-quality food sourcing, speed of service, and convenience. The company generates its revenue entirely from restaurant sales and delivery fees.

Having examined the options trading patterns of Chipotle Mexican Grill, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance

Current Position of Chipotle Mexican Grill

• With a volume of 138,439, the price of CMG is down -1.02% at $2897.0.
• RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be overbought.
• Next earnings are expected to be released in 14 days.

What The Experts Say On Chipotle Mexican Grill

5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $3111.6.

• An analyst from TD Cowen downgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $2900.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Keybanc keeps a Overweight rating on Chipotle Mexican Grill with a target price of $3250.
• An analyst from Wedbush has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Chipotle Mexican Grill, which currently sits at a price target of $2850.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Buy rating for Chipotle Mexican Grill, targeting a price of $3358.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Bernstein keeps a Outperform rating on Chipotle Mexican Grill with a target price of $3200.

Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Chipotle Mexican Grill options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.