Topline
Chipotle shares sank more than 15% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the fast-casual restaurant chain cut its sales forecast, the third quarter in a row it has reduced its outlook amid “persistent macroeconomic pressures.”
Chipotle reported earnings Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Key Facts
Chipotle’s stock closed down 1.2% on Wednesday before the company reported its third quarter results and said it is anticipating its same-store sales to fall in the low-single digit range in fiscal year 2025.
Shares plummeted 15.5% after the reduced outlook was announced, continuing a days-long streak of losses that have erased nearly all gains made by the chain’s stock in October.
Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said the company is continuing to see “persistent macroeconomic pressures” as “low- to middle-income guests” reduce the frequency of their visits.
Boatwright said during Wednesday’s earnings call that Chipotle is “over-indexed” to younger customers, noting those between 25 and 35 years old are “facing several headwinds, including unemployment, increased due loan repayment and slower real wage growth.”
Chipotle reported $3 billion in revenue (slightly below Wall Street expectations) and $382.1 million in net income for the third quarter.
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Big Number
About 40%. That is the share of Chipotle’s sales that come from households earning $100,000 or less, according to Boatwright.
Key Background
Americans are cutting down on eating out this year, with consumer prices jumping 0.3% in September as annual inflation reached 3%, the highest it has been since January, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The consumer price index for food away from home fell to 3.7% in September, down from the 3.9% recorded in July and August. In addition to Chipotle, consumers’ economic struggles have caught the attention of fast food chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s, which both reported falling breakfast sales in their latest earnings reports. Wendy’s interim CEO Ken Cook said during an August earnings call that, “When consumer uncertainty increases and consumers choose to eat another meal at home, breakfast is often the first place that they do that with.” McDonald’s CEO Christopher Kempczinski said during his chain’s earnings call “there is a lot of anxiety and unease with that low-income consumer,” speculating that President Donald Trump’s tariff policy is contributing to economic uncertainty.
Further Reading
The Founder Of Chipotle Is Now A Billionaire (Forbes)
McDonald’s and Wendy’s report breakfast sales are down. Here’s what that says about the economy. (CBS News)