Best Idea Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Growth Runway is Enormous

Image Shown: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc’s restaurant level unit economics continued to improve in the third quarter of 2021, supporting the company’s growth trajectory. Image Source: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc – Third Quarter of 2021 Non-GAAP Reconciliation Presentation By Callum Turcan On October 21, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG) reported third-quarter 2021 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. Comparable restaurant sales grew 15% year-over-year last quarter as Chipotle’s e-commerce business held up well, with digital sales up 9% year-over-year (representing 43% of its total sales during this period), while customers resumed in-store dining activities in earnest. We liked what we saw in Chipotle’s latest earnings report. Shares of CMG are included as an idea in the Best … Read more

Best Idea Chipotle Rockets Higher!

Image Shown: We include Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc an as idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. On July 21, shares of CMG surged higher after the firm reported a stellar earnings report after the market close on July 20. By Callum Turcan On July 20, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG) reported second-quarter 2021 earnings that beat both consensus top- and bottom-line estimates. The company’s comparable store sales boomed higher by over 31% year-over-year as Chipotle’s customer base returned to its in-store dining offerings in the wake of coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) containment efforts getting eased across the US. Its digital sales were up almost 11% year-over-year and represented a little under half of its total revenues. Chipotle’s momentum is expected to … Read more

ICYMI — Video: Exclusive 2020 — Furthering the Financial Discipline

ICYMI — Video: Exclusive 2020 — Furthering the Financial Discipline — — In this 40+ minute video jam-packed with must-watch content, Valuentum’s President Brian Nelson talks about the Theory of Universal Valuation and how his work is furthering the financial discipline. Learn the pitfalls of factor investing and modern portfolio theory and how the efficient markets hypothesis holds little substance in the wake of COVID-19. He’ll talk about which companies Valuentum likes and why, and which areas he’s avoiding. This and more in Valuentum’s 2020 Exclusive conference call.   Note: This video was originally published August 2, 2020.    To watch the video >>   The Theory of Universal Valuation —– Valuentum members have access to our 16-page stock reports, … Read more

Domino’s Pizza Well-Positioned for Long Run

Image Shown: Domino’s has the right business model for the long haul. Unit economics are fantastic for franchisees, while same-store sales continue to benefit from first-mover digital initiatives. Earnings per share growth has been stellar for the past decade. Image Source: April 2021 Presentation. By Brian Nelson, CFA It could be a Tuesday afternoon or a Friday night. It’s never been easier to have your order from Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) delivered to your doorstep. With a few clicks on the app, you can place your order, track the pizza from the oven through delivery, and even know the name of the driver – all within a matter of minutes. From the young family looking for something quick and easy to … Read more

Chipotle Could Double the Number of Restaurants in the Long Run

Image Source: Valuentum By Brian Nelson, CFA “Letting winners run” is an important dynamic behind the concept of compounding, and it often makes having a long-term horizon necessary. I talk about how we think about “letting winners run” in the following video, “Valuentum’s Brian Nelson on the Latest Howard Marks’ Memo: “Something of Value.” Compounding returns is one powerful aspect of investing. That said, we can understand why it may be confusing to see us continue to highlight ideas in the simulated newsletter portfolios that may be trading above the high end of the fair value estimate range, but per the Valuentum methodology, we would only look to remove them when their shares start to roll over in a meaningful … Read more

Chipotle Improving Its Digital Menu to Support Its E-commerce Growth Runway

Image Shown: Over the past year, shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc have been on an upward tear, supported by the restaurant’s improving omni-channel selling capabilities. By Callum Turcan Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG) surged higher during normal trading hours March 9 after the firm announced it was adding customizable quesadilla offerings to its digital menu in the US and Canada starting March 11. This offering is only available for customers ordering while using Chipotle’s digital platforms (potentially due to the longer preparation times) and will likely require new cooking equipment at the company’s restaurants. The company offers both home delivery and curbside/drive-thru pickup services (including its order ahead and pickup services) through its digital platform. We continue … Read more

Earnings Roundup: BYND, DASH, DPZ, NVDA

Image Shown: Shares of DoorDash Inc tumbled after the food delivery service reported its latest earnings report near the end of February 2021. In alphabetical order by ticker: BYND, DASH, DPZ, NVDA By Callum Turcan In this article, we’ve highlighted four companies that just reported their latest results. Domestic and international economic activities continued to face major headwinds from the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic near the end of last year and into the beginning of this year, though corporates are now starting to plan for a world when “pre-pandemic” activities (such as going to eat indoors at a restaurant) can resume in earnest. Global health authorities are working to put an end to the public health crisis via ongoing COVID-19 vaccine … Read more

ALERT: Raising Cash in the Newsletter Portfolios

January 27, 2021 ALERT: Raising Cash in the Newsletter Portfolios We are raising the cash position in the simulated Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and simulated Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio to 10%-20%. — By Brian Nelson, CFA — Our research has been absolutely fantastic for a long time, but 2020 may have been our best year yet. You can read the 2020 recap here. With the S&P 500 trading within our fair value estimate range of 3,530-3,920 (and the markets rolling over while showing signs of abnormal behavior), we’re raising the cash position in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio to 10%-20%. — For more conservative investors, the high end of this range may even be larger, especially … Read more

Chipotle, Domino’s Continue to Deliver for Shareholders

Image Shown: Domino’s Pizza Inc aims to grow its market share in the US by leaning heavily on its delivery and digital operations, a realm the firm has significant competitive advantages in, as compared to leaning on carryout operations at physical stores. Image Source: Domino’s Pizza Inc – January 2021 IR Presentation By Callum Turcan In the restaurant industry, one thing the coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic has made clear is that having drive thru operations, a strong online presence and efficient delivery services will be key to meeting consumer demand going forward. Physical restaurant locations that rely on indoor dinning will become relevant once again when the pandemic is contained, something the ongoing distribution of COVID-19 vaccines should help accomplish, but … Read more

Chicken Sandwich Wars Heating Up In the US

Image Shown: Rivals in the quick-service restaurant space are aggressively competing for share in the fast-growing premium chicken sandwich category following Popeyes’ considerable success the past couple years. Source: Images/logos property of the respective companies. By Callum Turcan and Brian Nelson, CFA Nothing has been the same in the fast-food industry since Popeyes launched its first nationwide chicken sandwich August 12, 2019. The release of the delicious chicken sandwich from the company named after Gene Hackman’s character Popeye Doyle in the 1971 film The French Connection may even have changed the fast-food industry as we know it. Popeyes’ “tender all-white meat chicken breast fillet, marinated in (its) authentic blend of Louisiana seasonings, then hand battered and breaded in (its) all … Read more