Chipotle Smashes Guidance Again: Will 2020 Be the Same?

During 2018, Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) returned to strong growth following a couple of bumpy years. Comparable sales rose 4%, total revenue increased 8.7%, and adjusted EPS jumped 33% on a full-year basis.

Entering 2019, Chipotle told investors to expect a steady continuation of its turnaround. Instead, its momentum accelerated as the year went on, even though the chain faced increasingly tough year-over-year comparisons. Last week, Chipotle reported that its excellent year culminated with a fantastic performance in the fourth quarter.

Once again, Chipotle's management is telling investors to expect moderate progress in the upcoming year. However, there's a good chance that it plans to underpromise and overdeliver for a second straight year, which could enable Chipotle stock to continue rallying.

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Source Fool.com