Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) ended Tuesday’s session modestly lower—and then slipped a bit more in after-hours trading as investors head into a holiday-shortened Christmas Eve session on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025.
Below is what the stock is doing after the bell, what dominated today’s CMG news and analysis cycle, what Wall Street forecasts look like right now, and the key calendar items to keep in mind before the opening bell tomorrow.
CMG stock price after the bell: where Chipotle shares stand tonight
Regular session (Dec. 23, 2025): Chipotle shares closed at $37.79, down about 0.34% on the day, after trading between $37.00 and $37.98. [1]
After-hours (post-close): In extended trading, CMG was quoted around $37.62, roughly -0.45% versus the regular close, with after-hours trading roughly between $37.60 and $37.82. [2]
A few context points investors often check at day’s end:
- Market cap: roughly $52.6B
- Trailing P/E: roughly 34x (varies by data provider and timing)
What the broader market did today (and why it matters for CMG)
Chipotle didn’t trade in a vacuum Tuesday. The broader market finished higher, with the S&P 500 up about 0.46% and the Dow up about 0.16% on the day—while several large restaurant peers were lower. [3]
That “market up / restaurants mixed” backdrop matters because restaurant stocks—especially premium fast-casual names like Chipotle—often swing on investor expectations for consumer spending, traffic trends, and pricing power heading into the next year.
Today’s biggest Chipotle themes: product news, valuation debates, and sentiment checks
Even without a fresh earnings release today, CMG’s news cycle was active. Here are the main themes analysts and market commentators focused on in coverage dated today (Dec. 23).
1) Chipotle’s High Protein Menu is officially live (starting today)
A central headline hanging over CMG this week became “real” today: Chipotle’s first-ever High Protein Menu began rolling out Dec. 23 in the U.S. and Canada, with items ranging from 15g to 81g of protein. The company also introduced the High Protein Cup (a snack-format option) and positioned the menu as a simpler way for customers to order protein-forward builds. [4]
From Chipotle’s own announcement, notable investor-relevant details include:
- U.S. pricing “starts at” $3.50 for a single chicken taco at select restaurants
- A national weighted average price around $3.82 for the High Protein Cup [5]
Why investors care: new menu pushes can influence traffic, mix, and ticket size—but Wall Street also watches whether “health” positioning is additive (incremental visits) or simply reshuffles existing ordering patterns.
2) Options trading pointed to cautious positioning into year-end
In a very “after-the-close” kind of signal, today’s options flow writeups suggested moderately bearish positioning: puts led calls with a put/call ratio around 1.56 versus a typical level near 0.76, while implied volatility was described as elevated modestly (yet still below a longer-term median in that summary). [6]
How to interpret that (without over-reading it):
- It can mean traders are hedging (protecting gains) rather than outright betting on a collapse.
- On a holiday-shortened session, options positioning can sometimes look more dramatic because liquidity is thinner.
3) “High expectations” is a recurring 2026 narrative—especially on valuation
A theme in today’s consumer/restaurant stock analysis pieces is that several beaten-down consumer names have rebounded—but must “prove it” in 2026. In that framing, Chipotle was described as being up meaningfully from its 2025 low and trading at a relatively rich earnings multiple, with analysts penciling in modest same-store sales growth and stronger revenue growth in 2026. [7]
Separately, a valuation-focused note today highlighted that CMG has rallied roughly ~20% over the last month (per that analysis) and framed the debate as whether the rebound still leaves upside versus a “fair value” narrative. [8]
Bottom line: regardless of whether you agree with any single model, “valuation vs. growth re-acceleration” is the core tug-of-war around CMG into 2026—particularly after the volatility and forecast revisions investors have digested this year. [9]
Wall Street forecasts right now: price targets and ratings snapshot
Analyst targets vary by source and methodology, but here’s the broad picture in widely cited aggregations:
- One consensus compilation shows CMG with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average 12-month price target around $49.81, with a wide range (high $73, low $34). [10]
- Another widely referenced compilation lists an average price target around $43.18 (high $55, low $34), with an overall “Buy”-leaning analyst mix. [11]
And in recent analyst-note coverage tied to the High Protein Menu, Goldman Sachs was reported as reiterating a Buy rating and a $45 price target in an Investing.com writeup. [12]
What investors should take from this:
- The Street still broadly expects upside—but there’s disagreement on magnitude, and the target ranges are wide.
- The “multiple” CMG trades at tends to expand when investors believe traffic and same-store sales are on track, and compress when they fear demand softness or margin pressure.
The next major catalyst: Chipotle earnings date and what it could reset
If you’re looking for the next scheduled event that can materially change the narrative, it’s earnings.
Chipotle has announced it will report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, with a press release expected around 4:10 p.m. ET and a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET. [13]
Why this matters now: between now and early February, investors will mostly trade CMG on macro signals, channel checks, menu/product reception, and any analyst revisions—until the company itself provides fresh hard numbers and forward commentary.
What to know before the market opens tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025)
Tomorrow is not a normal trading day—and that’s especially important if you’re watching CMG in the premarket or planning trades.
1) Tomorrow is a holiday-shortened session: NYSE closes early
The New York Stock Exchange holiday schedule indicates that Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025 is an early close, with markets closing at 1:00 p.m. ET (and a slightly later close for eligible options), and late trading sessions ending at 5:00 p.m. ET. [14]
Practical implication: lower liquidity can mean wider bid-ask spreads and more exaggerated moves on relatively small orders—especially in the opening hour.
2) Bond market hours are also shortened
SIFMA’s holiday recommendations commonly shape U.S. bond market practice; for Christmas Eve, SIFMA has indicated a 2:00 p.m. ET close for U.S. fixed income in its holiday schedule guidance. [15]
Why equity investors care: rate moves (or lack of liquidity) can affect consumer discretionary sentiment broadly, including restaurant stocks.
3) “Thin tape” risk: don’t over-interpret small CMG moves
With many desks lightly staffed and many investors already positioned for year-end, it’s easy to over-read:
- a small premarket dip,
- a quick spike at the open,
- or a late-morning fade.
On shortened sessions, those moves can be flow-driven rather than fundamentally driven—especially if there’s no fresh company-specific headline.
4) The near-term CMG checklist: what headlines could move the stock fast
Going into tomorrow’s open, the most “market-moving” buckets for Chipotle typically include:
- Traffic and value perception: Any credible data or commentary suggesting improving (or weakening) customer traffic can swing the stock quickly—because traffic has been a key sensitivity in 2025. [16]
- Menu reception: Early signals around the High Protein Menu—social buzz, press pickup, and early customer response—can influence sentiment, even before it shows up in quarterly results. [17]
- Analyst notes / target changes: Especially into year-end, a single widely circulated rating reiteration or target move can have outsized impact in a thin session. [18]
- Options dynamics: Elevated put demand (even if partly hedging) can amplify intraday moves if the stock starts trending. [19]
The takeaway for tonight: CMG is steady, but the setup favors headline-driven moves
As of after-hours trading following Dec. 23, 2025, Chipotle stock is only modestly lower—$37.79 at the close and roughly $37.62 after hours—but the market setup into tomorrow is unusual because Dec. 24 is an early-close session. [20]
Meanwhile, today’s CMG conversation was dominated by:
- the High Protein Menu rollout beginning today, [21]
- ongoing valuation and 2026 expectation debates, [22]
- and a cautious options tone in day-of sentiment snapshots. [23]
For investors, the highest-confidence “date on the calendar” remains Feb. 3, 2026 earnings, when Chipotle will provide an official update and fresh guidance. [24]
This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Extended-hours quotes can differ by venue and can change quickly in lower-liquidity trading.
References
1. www.marketwatch.com, 2. public.com, 3. www.marketwatch.com, 4. newsroom.chipotle.com, 5. newsroom.chipotle.com, 6. www.tipranks.com, 7. www.barrons.com, 8. simplywall.st, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.marketbeat.com, 11. www.investing.com, 12. www.investing.com, 13. ir.chipotle.com, 14. www.nyse.com, 15. www.sifma.org, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. newsroom.chipotle.com, 18. www.investing.com, 19. www.tipranks.com, 20. public.com, 21. newsroom.chipotle.com, 22. www.barrons.com, 23. www.tipranks.com, 24. ir.chipotle.com
