Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. trades at $32.66 (market cap $40.49B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $144.74 (market cap $39.50B). The key difference: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. and Yum! Brands, Inc. are close in size by market cap, and Yum! Brands, Inc. pays a 2.07% dividend while Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CMG | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $40.49B | $39.50B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $44.04 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $28.17 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $45.24B | $51.10B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.07% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) trades at $32.615, up 1.48% today, but faces headwinds from recent food safety concerns linked to salmonella outbreaks. The stock's technical outlook is bearish, with moving averages signaling selling pressure. Fundamentally, the company reported strong revenue growth to $11.93B in 2025 and a net income margin of 11.42%, though earnings face compression from rising costs. Recent news highlights ongoing litigation investigations and promotional efforts to boost customer engagement.
The investment outlook is mixed; analyst consensus remains bullish with a $42.17 price target, but near-term risks from food safety issues and margin pressures could limit upside. Long-term growth prospects are supported by consistent revenue increases, but investors should monitor resolution of health concerns and cost management.
YUM trades at $150.15, up 3.32% in the past 24 hours, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. Recent earnings show a Q2 2026 beat with EPS of $1.62 versus $1.57 expected, while revenue grew to $8.21B in 2025. The company completed the sale of Pizza Hut China for $1.2B in August 2026, aiming to streamline operations and reduce debt. Cash flow from operations improved to $2.01B in 2025, supporting a dividend payment of $0.75 per share.
The outlook is mixed, with analyst consensus leaning hold (56.87%) but a price target of $174.60 implying 16% upside. Risks include ongoing legal investigations and a parasite outbreak impacting Taco Bell sales, though management reports recovery. Debt remains high at $11.25B long-term, but the debt-to-asset ratio improved to 143.49 in 2025. Execution on digital growth and brand focus post-Pizza Hut sale are key to unlocking value.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Chipotle Mexican Grill is the largest fast-casual chain restaurant in the United States, with systemwide sales of $7.5 billion in 2021. The Mexican concept is entirely company-owned, with a footprint of more than 3,000 stores, heavily indexed to the United States (though 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.
Read more on CMG →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →