Sara Senatore

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG)'s recently appointed CEO Brian Niccol and a handful of other executives will earn performance bonuses if the company achieves certain metrics. Assuming these objectives are realistic, a case can be made for notable upside in Chipotle's stock,...

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) reported fiscal third-quarter results in late March in which revenue and same-store sales at its restaurant chains fell short of expectations. The corresponding sell-off in the stock should be seen as a buying opportunity for investors, according to...

In the event that a trade war between U.S. and China flares, how will American restaurant chains in China, like Yum China Holdings Inc (NYSE: YUMC), fare? Bernstein has a theory.  The Analyst Bernstein's Sara Senatore maintains a Market-Perform rating on Yum China's stock with an...

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) announced Wednesday the resignation of Mark Crumpacker, the company's chief marketing and strategy officer. Considering the fast-casual chain’s underwhelming marketing efforts, the resignation isn't surprising. Last year, Bernstein analyst Sara...

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) reported fiscal first-quarter earnings last week, disappointing some Wall Street analysts due to poor performance in the North American unit, but fueling optimism in others over the company's prospects in China.   The Analyst Bernstein's Sara...

Previewing second-quarter restaurant results, Bernstein said broader industry comps improved in the second quarter, as the gap between the food at home, or FAH, and Food Away from Home, or FAFH, inflation narrowed notably. The firm also noted that macro data relevant for the restaurant industry,...

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)’s takeover bid for Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM) sent grocery stocks tumbling, but it could be bad news for restaurant stocks as well. Following news of the Whole Foods buyout, a number of analysts discussed the potential for a pricing war in the...

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) shares fell over 5 percent after the restaurant chain released updated guidance reported on BenzingaPro. Notable Takeaways Food costs are expected to be about 34.2 percent of sales. Marketing/promotional costs are anticipated to rise about 20–30...

Bernstein sees a potential game-changer in play for McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD), as research analyst Sara Senatore raised her target price to $170 and maintained her Outperform rating. New Loyalty Program Could Be A Huge Hit Royalty programs have greatly expanded over the last few years...

Sara Senatore of Bernstein upgraded shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) from Market Perform to Outperform with a price target boosted from $129 to $160. According to Senatore, McDonald's stands to gain from food inflation and the restaurant chain's re-commitment to value. In addition, a...

Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ: PNRA) announced on Wednesday a deal to be bought by JAB for $315 per share in cash, with the total transaction value at $7.5 billion, including the assumption of $340 million of net debt. The Expected And The Surprising While Bernstein said it anticipated JAB would be...

Shares of Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ: PNRA) soared to new all-time highs of $292.42 last Friday following a Bloomberg report that suggested the sandwich and bakery chain may be exploring strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of itself. Here is a summary of what some of Wall Street's most...

Amid broader restaurant industry weakness, Bernstein says bar and grill has been the weakest segment in the restaurant sector over the past six quarters, mainly hurt by deflation and competitive pressures. Analyst Sara Senatore noted that bar and grill has never been immune to industry weakness,...

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) reported lower-than-expected U.S. comps as throughput constraints appeared to limit the ability to translate mobile order & pay adoption into better comps. Starbucks’ American comps of 3 percent were below 3.9 percent Street view. But, Bernstein’...