Chipotle (CMG) has been profitable over buyers, with shares up practically 40% yr to this point towards a tough restaurant panorama as customers pull again as a result of increased costs.One analyst thinks there are extra levers the fast-casual restaurant may pull to maintain the flame burning long-term.Chipotle ramping up its working hours is one lever, wrote Bernstein analyst Danilo Gargiulo, who has an Outperform score and worth goal of $80 on the inventory, following Wednesday’s 50-for-1 inventory cut up.Each Wall Road and Major Road have lengthy anticipated late-night or breakfast hours from the burrito chain.Revamping Chipotle’s loyalty program may additionally enhance gross sales. As chains ramp up personalised choices by way of rewards, Chipotle may additionally improve its personal loyalty advantages. Although the chain does not escape what number of reward members it has, digital gross sales represented 36.5% of complete meals and beverage income within the first quarter.Chipotle’s key viewers, Gen Z, presents a vital runway for the corporate too, because the demographic more and more turns into family decision-makers.Gargiulo wrote that Gen Z has a big model affiliation with Chipotle and engages extra with the model than its friends on TikTok, which tends to skew to a youthful viewers of largely 18-to-24-year-olds.Chipotle boasts 55.4 million likes on the social media platform, whereas CEO Brian Niccol’s previous stomping grounds, Taco Bell (YUM), trails with 51.7 million likes. Farther behind are McDonald’s (MCD), with 30.1 million likes, and Wendy’s (WEN), with 20.6 million.A Chipotle Mexican Grill worker prepares meals on Dec. 15, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photograph/Stephen Brashear) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Along with these three long-term drivers, Gargiulo famous Chipotle’s class energy represents one more tailwind for the corporate.Hen is gaining recognition, as Yahoo Finance beforehand reported, and the cheaper protein is simpler on customers’ tightening wallets, aligns with wholesome consuming developments, and permits firms extra room for innovation. Gargiulo initiatives the marketplace for rooster will develop by 7% over the following 5 years at limited-service eating places.The marketplace for informal eating in Latin America is rising quickly too. It grew 8% from 2018 to 2023 and is predicted to develop one other 6% from 2023 to 2028.Traders hope the momentum of current quarters sticks round. Within the first quarter, Chipotle blew previous income, earnings, and same-store gross sales expectations but once more.Submit-stock cut up, shares of Chipotle are nonetheless buying and selling at the next worth than when the corporate went public in 2006 at $22 per share. The inventory hovered round $62 per share as of Thursday’s market shut.Story continuesIn a be aware to shoppers, TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles wrote that the agency believes Chipotle is “properly positioned to ship mid-single digit same-store gross sales yearly over the medium time period,” pushed by its omnichannel strategy, Chipotlane drive-through innovation, and customers’ curiosity in ingredient transparency. Charles now has a worth goal of $72 on the inventory.Usually, inventory splits are bullish for firms that conduct them. As Yahoo Finance’s Seana Smith reported following Nvidia’s (NVDA) 10-for-1 inventory cut up earlier this month, inventory splits are likely to see a mean return one yr later of 25% versus about 12% for the broader market, in accordance with evaluation from Financial institution of America.12 months to this point, Chipotle shares are up 38%, outpacing the S&P 500’s (^GSPC) 15% acquire.—Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Comply with her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or e mail her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.Click on right here for the newest inventory market information and in-depth evaluation, together with occasions that transfer stocksRead the newest monetary and enterprise information from Yahoo Finance