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After an impressive 325.2% rally over the last five years, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) hit a speed bump in 2024 when CEO Brian Niccol made a surprise exit in August to struggling coffee chain Starbucks (SBUX). Niccol was the driving force behind Chipotle’s remarkable turnaround story following its foodborne illness crises, implementing key technological innovations to enhance worker efficiency and supply chain operations. Naturally, his exit was a tough pill for investors to swallow.
Fast forward to 2025, and Chipotle stock is still struggling to regain momentum. Yet, the company’s popularity among customers remains strong, and it isn’t slowing down on innovation either. From an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered hiring platform to an avocado-cutting robot and faster cooking technology, the company is pushing forward. And now, with Morgan Stanley analysts rolling out some fresh projections for the company, should investors buy, sell, or hold CMG stock in 2025?