Chipotle Mexican Grill's Options: A Look at What the Big Money is Thinking

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 13 uncommon options trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 23% bullish and 46%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $99,621, and 10 are calls, for a total amount of $821,391.

Expected Price Movements

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $1100.0 to $3650.0 for Chipotle Mexican Grill over the recent three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Chipotle Mexican Grill's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $1100.0 to $3650.0 over the preceding 30 days.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Biggest Options Spotted:

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, although it recently inked a development agreement with Alshaya Group in the Middle East. It had a footprint of nearly 3,440 stores at the end of 2023, heavily indexed to the United States, although it maintains a small presence in Canada, the UK, 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.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Chipotle Mexican Grill, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Where Is Chipotle Mexican Grill Standing Right Now?

• Currently trading with a volume of 62,139, the CMG's price is down by 0.0%, now at $3199.1.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 78 days.

Professional Analyst Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill

In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $3129.0.

• An analyst from Keybanc persists with their Overweight rating on Chipotle Mexican Grill, maintaining a target price of $3400.
• An analyst from Piper Sandler has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Chipotle Mexican Grill, which currently sits at a price target of $3070.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Equal-Weight rating for Chipotle Mexican Grill, targeting a price of $2865.
• An analyst from Oppenheimer downgraded its action to Outperform with a price target of $3300.
• Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Stephens & Co. lowers its rating to Equal-Weight with a new price target of $3010.

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.