What was Chipotle's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2020?

Chipotle's CAGR from 2020 to September 2026 was 9.7% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. However, this came with substantially higher volatility and drawdown risk.

How does Chipotle compare to the S&P 500 since 2020?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2020 would be worth approximately $2,626.14 today. Chipotle underperformed the S&P 500 by $757.55.

How much of the Chipotle gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $868.59 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $1,738.30. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,661.87, and lower incomes pay 0%. State tax is extra, and gains inside a Roth IRA aren't taxed.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Chipotle since 2020?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2020, the real purchasing-power value of the Chipotle position is approximately $1,483.41 in 2020 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Chipotle perform in 2020?

Chipotle rose 54% during 2020, from $17.16 at the start of the year to $26.38 at the start of 2021.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Chipotle in 2020?

Q: Did Chipotle pay dividends?

No. Chipotle paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$1,869

+$868.59 profit1.87x9.7% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,626

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$1,738

US federal long-term rates: 15% for most people, 0% on lower incomes, 20% + 3.8% on high incomes. No state tax included; none inside a Roth IRA.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$1,868.59

Total Profit

$868.59

Multiplier

1.87x

CAGR

9.7%

Max Drawdown

-49.9%

Inflation-Adjusted

$1,483.41

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2020 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Chipotle	$1,868.59	1.87x
S&P 500	$2,626.14	2.63x
Gold	$2,769.41	2.77x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,142.91	1.14x

Dividends

Chipotle paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Dividends from Yahoo Finance. Shares today assume every dividend was reinvested.

Back in 2020

In November 2020, Chipotle opened its first digital-only restaurant, the Chipotle Digital Kitchen, just outside the military academy in Highland Falls, New York, for pickup and delivery only. prnewswire.com
In 2020, a gallon of gas averaged $2.17 and the new iPhone 12 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2020 itself, Chipotle rose 54%, #37 of the 103 investments we track. The best was Tesla (+747%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−73%). Full 2020 results →

$1,000 in Chipotle, year by year

Of the 103 investments we track that were available at the start of 2020, Chipotle ranks #67 by growth to today — just behind Mastercard and ahead of Russell 2000 ETF (IWM). See the full 2020 ranking →

Chipotle started 2020 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 94% in 2019. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2025, at $3,490. Today it's 46% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 4 of the 6 full years since. It fell behind the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2026 and hasn't caught up. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Apr 2024 ($3,703) to Oct 2025 ($1,857), a drop of 50%. At its lowest month-end, in Mar 2020, it was worth $766.89.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2020	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2021	$1,537	+54%	$1,184
Start of 2022	$1,970	+28%	$1,524
Start of 2023	$1,598	−19%	$1,248
Start of 2024	$2,617	+64%	$1,576
Start of 2025	$3,490	+33%	$1,970
Start of 2026	$2,185	−37%	$2,322
Today	$1,869	−14%	$2,626

Values at the start of each year (first trading day for stocks). The S&P 500 column includes reinvested dividends, like the stock values.

Historical Context

At the start of 2020, Chipotle was priced at $17.16 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 58.28 shares. Chipotle runs fast-casual Mexican restaurants.

Measured from one January to the next, Chipotle's best year since then was 2023 (+64%) and its worst was 2025 (−37%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2025 and the start of 2026, the position fell 37% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Chipotle at the start of 2020 would be worth approximately $1,868.59 today — a 1.87x return ($868.59 profit) over 6.7 years.

Methodology & Sources

Price data: Historical prices are the closing price on the first trading day of each year, adjusted for splits and dividends (so returns assume dividends were reinvested), from Yahoo Finance and MacroTrends. Current prices come from Yahoo Finance and refresh hourly; if that source is unavailable, the last saved price is used.

Calculation: Assumes a single purchase at the start of 2020 (or the first trading day, for companies that listed that year), held until today. No transaction fees, taxes, or slippage are included.

Benchmarks: The S&P 500 comparison uses the S&P 500 Total Return index (dividends reinvested, like an index fund) at the start of2020 and today. Gold uses the price per troy ounce. Savings account assumes a 2% APY compounded annually.

Inflation adjustment: Uses U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2026 CPI value is estimated.

Educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.