Black Friday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Shake Shack Shares Too Rich for Wall Street's Taste Buds Analysts have put a 'sell' rating on the burger chain.

By John Kell

This story originally appeared on Fortune Magazine

Shake Shack's hearty burgers and fries continue to hit the spot with diners. But the company's shares are struggling to remain a tasty treat for investors.

Two major banks this week downgraded Shake Shack's shares, putting more pressure on a stock that has now tumbled more 45% from its peak in May. Morgan Stanley levied a downgrade on Tuesday, which was followed two days later by rival Goldman Sachs.

The market value of Shake Shack has ebbed from $3.37 billion to around $1.8 billion currently.

Goldman Sachs on Thursday downgraded Shake Shack's stock to a "sell," saying that even with the sell off in shares, the stock still trades at a level that is too rich to justify the potential near-term rewards. Also worrisome: the lockup period for Shake Shack expires on July 29, which is when insiders will be allowed to sell their shares. Goldman points to research that suggests stocks often underperform in the weeks leading up to and following a stock's lockup expiration.

But what about Shake Shack's business model? That still looks strong to analysts that track the company. Goldman, for example, said there is a lot of opportunity to open new restaurants and the Shake Shack brand still remains relevant with millennials and performs well on Google searches, implying traffic growth will continue. Revenue continues to increase sharply.

The fast-casual purveyor, which debuted a chicken sandwich this week, isn't the only recently public restaurant chain to experience some pains on the stock market. Noodles & Co. and Potbelly have each seen their share prices ebb as expectations were set a bit too high for their restaurant concepts. Investors have been putting high valuations on many newly public restaurant chains with the hopes they can become the next Panera or Chipotle, but the path to achieve that growth isn't always as smooth or as quick as investors might hope for.

John Kell is a Reporter @FortuneMagazine.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Living

These Are the 'Wealthiest and Safest' Places to Retire in the U.S. None of Them Are in Florida — and 2 States Swept the List.

More than 338,000 U.S. residents retired to a new home in 2023 — a 44% increase year over year.

Business News

DOGE Leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Say Mandating In-Person Work Would Make 'a Wave' of Federal Employees Quit

The two published an op-ed outlining their goals for their new department, including workforce reductions.

Starting a Business

This Sommelier's 'Laughable' Idea Is Disrupting the $385 Billion Wine Industry

Kristin Olszewski, founder of Nomadica, is bringing premium wine to aluminum cans, and major retailers are taking note.

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

Side Hustle

20 Ways to Make Money from Home in 2023

Making money from home doesn't have to be complicated. Check out these 20 smart ways to make cash from the comfort of your computer desk.

Business News

These Are the Highest Paying Jobs Available Without a College Degree, According to a New Report

The median salaries for these positions go up to $102,420 per year.