Sanford C. Bernstein Issues Pessimistic Forecast for CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA) Stock Price

by · The Markets Daily

CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA – Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by Sanford C. Bernstein from $95.00 to $80.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 35.78% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on CAVA. Compass Point upgraded shares of CAVA Group to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Northcoast Research raised CAVA Group from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Melius Research upgraded CAVA Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $95.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on CAVA Group from $79.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, KeyCorp lowered their price objective on CAVA Group from $80.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.88.

View Our Latest Analysis on CAVA

CAVA Group Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of CAVA Group stock traded down $1.09 on Thursday, reaching $58.92. The stock had a trading volume of 4,412,427 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,952,812. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $55.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $71.09. CAVA Group has a 1 year low of $43.41 and a 1 year high of $98.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 109.11, a P/E/G ratio of 4.94 and a beta of 1.75.

CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.12 by ($0.01). CAVA Group had a return on equity of 8.28% and a net margin of 4.82%. The firm had revenue of $356.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $358.40 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.12 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that CAVA Group will post 0.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CAVA Group declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Friday, September 18th that authorizes the company to buy back $100 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 1.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Douglas Thompson acquired 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $66.52 per share, with a total value of $432,380.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 19,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,288,558.92. This trade represents a 50.50% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 6.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of CAVA Group

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Trillium Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CAVA Group during the second quarter valued at $3,279,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,551,000. Prospect Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter worth $1,348,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter worth $6,833,000. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter worth $2,492,000. 73.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting CAVA Group

Here are the key news stories impacting CAVA Group this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: CAVA raised its sales outlook after moving past the cyclospora-related headwind. It also reported 24 net new restaurant openings in the third quarter and projected 76–78 net openings and $184 million–$189 million in adjusted EBITDA for 2026. Sales guidance update 2026 outlook
  • Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts cut price targets after the results, though some retained bullish ratings. Citigroup lowered its target to $65 and BNP Paribas Exane to $62, both with neutral ratings; Bernstein, KeyCorp and TD Cowen also reduced targets but maintained positive ratings. Citigroup rating BNP Paribas Exane rating
  • Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS of $0.11 missed the $0.12 consensus, and revenue of $356.4 million came in below the $358.4 million estimate, despite growing 21% year over year. Reports also flagged margin and traffic slippage; shares slid 11% following the results. Earnings results Margin and traffic concerns Share decline after results

About CAVA Group

(Get Free Report)

CAVA Group, Inc operates CAVA, a fast-casual restaurant brand serving Mediterranean-inspired food in the United States. Its menu includes customizable bowls and pitas, salads, dips, spreads, grilled proteins, and other Mediterranean dishes, with options designed to accommodate a range of dietary preferences.

The company’s restaurants generally use an assembly-line format that allows customers to build meals from a selection of ingredients and sauces. CAVA also offers its branded dips, spreads, and other products through select grocery and retail channels, extending the brand beyond its restaurant locations.

CAVA was founded in 2010 by Dimitri Moshovitis, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Ted Xenohristos.

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