Chipotle Stock Rises After Hours as Same-Store Sales Beat Forecasts, Even With a Profit Miss

More customers came through the door than Wall Street expected, and investors looked past higher beef and labor costs that squeezed profit.

How did Chipotle do in the third quarter?

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) said on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, that comparable restaurant sales rose 2.1% in the third quarter, beating forecasts of about 1.4% to 1.5%. Revenue rose 9.6% to $3.3 billion, but adjusted earnings of 27 cents a share missed the 29-cent estimate. The stock rose after hours.

Chipotle released the results after the stock market closed, ahead of a 4:30 p.m. Eastern conference call, according to its earnings release filed with the SEC. Reuters put the comparable-sales estimate at 1.4%, citing LSEG data, and reported that the shares rose about 4% in extended trading. Investing.com cited a 1.5% consensus and a revenue estimate of $3.28 billion, and showed a smaller 0.8% gain shortly after the release.

Comparable restaurant sales, often called "comps" or same-store sales, measure sales at restaurants open for at least a year. They strip out the boost from new locations, so investors use them to judge whether existing restaurants are actually busier.

What drove sales, and what hurt profit?

The 2.1% comp increase came from two places, according to the release. The average check rose 1.3%, and transactions, the number of orders, rose 0.8%. Growth in transactions matters to investors because it shows more visits, not just higher prices. Reuters said value deals, marketing and limited-time menu items helped bring in customers, especially younger diners.