Summary
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) reported strong financial results for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2014. Revenue showed significant year-over-year growth, driven by a healthy increase in comparable restaurant sales and the opening of new locations. The company's commitment to "Food With Integrity" continues to resonate with customers, as evidenced by the strong traffic and average check growth. Despite some inflationary pressures on food costs, Chipotle demonstrated effective cost management, leading to improved operating margins compared to the prior year. From an operational standpoint, Chipotle continued its aggressive expansion, opening a considerable number of new restaurants. The company also continued its share repurchase program, returning value to shareholders. While facing ongoing legal and regulatory investigations related to employee work authorization, the company has settled shareholder derivative actions and appears to be cooperating with authorities. Management expressed confidence in the company's liquidity and ability to fund future growth through operating cash flow and existing cash reserves.
Financial Highlights
42 data points| Operating Expenses | $876.79M |
| Operating Income | $207.44M |
| Net Income | $130.80M |
| EPS (Basic) | $0.08 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.08 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 1.55B |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 1.58B |
Key Highlights
- 1Revenue increased by 31.1% in Q3 2014 and 28.2% for the first nine months of 2014 compared to the prior year periods.
- 2Comparable restaurant sales increased by a robust 19.8% in Q3 2014 and 17.0% for the first nine months of 2014, driven by customer visits and higher average checks.
- 3The company opened 132 new restaurants in the first nine months of 2014, contributing to revenue growth, with plans to open 180-195 in full year 2014.
- 4Food, beverage, and packaging costs as a percentage of revenue slightly increased to 34.3% in Q3 2014 (from 33.6% in Q3 2013), attributed to inflation in key ingredients.
- 5Labor costs as a percentage of revenue decreased to 21.2% in Q3 2014 (from 22.8% in Q3 2013) due to higher sales volume and menu price increases.
- 6Net income grew significantly, with diluted EPS reported at $4.15 for Q3 2014, up from $2.66 in Q3 2013.
- 7Chipotle repurchased $63.4 million of its common stock during the first nine months of 2014 and had $126.8 million available under its repurchase authorization as of September 30, 2014.