Shake Shack Tackles Increasing Beef Prices with Strategic Pricing Adjustments
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Sep 29 2025
0mins
Should l Buy SHAK?
Source: Benzinga
Beef Cost Management: Shake Shack is addressing rising beef prices, which surged 35.4% year-over-year, by implementing a selective 2% menu price increase and maintaining strong sales performance.
Sales and Earnings Outlook: Despite a slight reduction in adjusted EBITDA projections for 2025 and 2026, Shake Shack's same-store sales estimates for Q3 have been raised to 3.5%, driven by successful marketing campaigns and new product launches.
Store Growth and Guidance: The company has opened 13 new locations in Q3, slightly below the expected 14, but maintains its full-year forecast of 48 new openings and reaffirms its revenue outlook for 2025.
Stock Performance: Shake Shack shares have seen a recent increase, trading at $94.97, with a valuation near historic lows compared to pre-COVID averages, while analysts continue to hold a Buy rating on the stock.
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Analyst Views on SHAK
Wall Street analysts forecast SHAK stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
10 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 83.530
Low
85.00
Averages
110.29
High
150.00
Current: 83.530
Low
85.00
Averages
110.29
High
150.00
About SHAK
Shake Shack Inc. is engaged in serving an American menu of Angus beef burgers, crispy chicken, hand-spun milkshakes, house-made lemonades, beer, wine, and more. The Company’s menu focuses on food and beverages, carefully crafted from a range of classic American foods. Its burger categories include ShackBurger, SmokeShack, Shroom Burger (a vegetarian burger), Shack Stack, Avocado Bacon Burger and Hamburger. Its chicken products include Chicken Shack and Chicken Bites. It also offers wines, including Shack Red, Shack White, and Shack Rose. In addition, it serves Abita Root Beer, Shack-made lemonade, organic fresh brewed iced tea, Fifty/Fifty, Honest Kids organic apple juice and Shack2O bottled still and sparkling waters. The Company operates in approximately 570 locations system-wide, including over 370 in 34 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, and over 200 international locations across London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Mexico City, Istanbul, Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul and more.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Shake Shack Reports Stable Same-Store Sales Growth Amid Economic Challenges
- Stable Same-Store Sales: Shake Shack has achieved stable same-store sales growth despite a choppy macroeconomic backdrop, driven by successful initiatives like the Dubai shake, a value menu, and improved operational standards, which are expected to sustain in-line sales and earnings growth.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: BofA Securities upgraded Shake Shack's rating from Underperform to Neutral and raised its price target by 15%, reflecting increased confidence in the company's future performance amid ongoing challenges.
- Supply Chain Improvements: The company’s enhancements in supply chain management, including producer and geographic diversification, product optimization, and logistics improvements, are expected to mitigate the impact of rising beef costs, leading to a 3.2% increase in FY26 adjusted EBITDA estimate to $288 million.
- Effective Cost Controls: Shake Shack reported a 42% increase in EPS last quarter despite higher input prices and beef inflation, maintaining a 22.7% profit margin, demonstrating effective cost control measures that are likely to drive higher net income and adjusted EBITDA growth going forward.
See More
Wall Street's Latest Ratings Overview
- Visa and Mastercard Ratings: Loop initiates coverage on Visa and Mastercard with a buy rating, anticipating significant net revenue growth driven by market share gains and upside from foreign exchange volatility, enhancing their competitive edge in the payment processing sector.
- Arista and Cisco Buy Ratings: Truist initiates buy ratings for Arista Networks and Cisco, citing their high-quality business scale and thematic attractiveness, particularly in the data center growth space, which presents underappreciated opportunities.
- 10X Genomics Upgrade: William Blair upgrades 10X Genomics from market perform to outperform, highlighting its pivotal role in AI drug discovery and improved profitability, which is expected to drive future growth following five consecutive topline beats.
- MiniMed Platform Outlook: Morgan Stanley initiates MiniMed at overweight with a $19 price target, projecting that its differentiated diabetes management platform will drive growth and margin expansion, particularly given the significant underpenetration in the U.S. market.
See More
BNP Paribas Launches Comprehensive Coverage on Restaurant Sector
- High-Quality Concepts: Analyst Steve McManus from BNP Paribas emphasizes that high-quality restaurant concepts like Wingstop, Shake Shack, and Dutch Bros possess strong unit economics and unique growth drivers, outperforming those reliant on macro recovery.
- Wingstop Investment Opportunity: BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Wingstop with an Outperform rating and a price target of $275, based on a 30X EV/EBITDA multiple, anticipating a sales acceleration in 2027, with current share prices reflecting understood near-term sales pressures.
- Shake Shack Earnings Growth: Shake Shack also received an Outperform rating, with analysts noting that after several years of volatility, it is entering a more durable earnings growth phase, improving the risk/reward profile as execution stabilizes.
- Dutch Bros Market Potential: BNP Paribas is bullish on Dutch Bros, highlighting its unique drive-thru beverage platform and loyal Gen Z customer base, which positions it as a durable share gainer in the fast-growing specialty beverage market, with a price target of $73.
See More
Restaurant Stocks Face Inflation and Economic Volatility Challenges
- Industry Decline: The S&P 500 Hotels, Restaurants, and Leisure sector is down approximately 4% in 2026, while the broader benchmark index has fallen 1.8%, indicating the restaurant industry's struggles amid inflation and uneven economic growth.
- Fast-Food Chains Struggling: DoorDash's stock has plummeted over 27%, Chipotle is down nearly 12%, and Wendy's has lost 15% year-to-date, reflecting shifts in consumer spending habits and the impact of GLP-1 drugs on dining out.
- Impact of GLP-1 Drugs: Research indicates that households with GLP-1 users experienced an 8% short-term decline in food-away-from-home spending, which could significantly affect sales at quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, particularly among lower-income consumers.
- Labor Market Volatility: The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.4% in February, correlating with weak restaurant demand, as fast-casual and quick-service restaurants reported stagnant or declining same-store sales, highlighting the sensitivity of younger consumers to labor market changes.
See More
Shake Shack Stock Price Fluctuation Analysis
- Minor Stock Increase: Shake Shack's shares rose by 0.063% to $86.86 in after-hours trading on Thursday, despite a 6.23% decline during regular trading, indicating market caution regarding its future performance.
- Impact of Oil Prices: The surge in crude oil prices due to geopolitical conflicts led to a decline in Shake Shack's stock during afternoon trading, raising concerns about rising operational costs and potential decreases in consumer spending, which affects the food service industry.
- Insider Stock Sale: COO Stephanie Sentell sold 225 shares at $93.60 on March 6 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan while retaining 15,342 shares, which may exert downward pressure on the stock price.
- Board Member Resignation: Shake Shack confirmed that director Joshua Silverman will resign effective May 1, reducing the board from nine to eight members, although the company stated this was not due to any disputes, which may affect investor confidence in corporate governance.
See More
Two Restaurant Stocks: Earnings Surprises and Distinct Market Conditions
Earnings Growth: Shake Shack and CAVA Group reported significant earnings growth, with Shake Shack achieving a total revenue of $400.5 million in Q4 2025, up nearly 22% year-over-year, while CAVA Group's revenue hit $1.2 billion, growing 22.5% compared to 2024.
Expansion and Locations: Shake Shack expanded its locations to 659, a 14% increase from the previous year, and CAVA Group increased its restaurant count from 367 to 439 in 2025, indicating aggressive growth strategies for both companies.
Same-Store Sales Performance: Both companies reported low single-digit growth in same-store sales, with CAVA at 0.5% and Shake Shack at 2.1%, which is notable given the broader industry challenges with negative same-store sales growth.
Future Outlook: Management for both companies guided for same-store sales growth between 3% and 5% for 2026, suggesting a cautious but optimistic outlook amid ongoing economic pressures and rising costs.
See More
Shake Shack Reports Stable Same-Store Sales Growth Amid Economic Challenges
- Stable Same-Store Sales: Shake Shack has achieved stable same-store sales growth despite a choppy macroeconomic backdrop, driven by successful initiatives like the Dubai shake, a value menu, and improved operational standards, which are expected to sustain in-line sales and earnings growth.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: BofA Securities upgraded Shake Shack's rating from Underperform to Neutral and raised its price target by 15%, reflecting increased confidence in the company's future performance amid ongoing challenges.
- Supply Chain Improvements: The company’s enhancements in supply chain management, including producer and geographic diversification, product optimization, and logistics improvements, are expected to mitigate the impact of rising beef costs, leading to a 3.2% increase in FY26 adjusted EBITDA estimate to $288 million.
- Effective Cost Controls: Shake Shack reported a 42% increase in EPS last quarter despite higher input prices and beef inflation, maintaining a 22.7% profit margin, demonstrating effective cost control measures that are likely to drive higher net income and adjusted EBITDA growth going forward.
See More
Wall Street's Latest Ratings Overview
- Visa and Mastercard Ratings: Loop initiates coverage on Visa and Mastercard with a buy rating, anticipating significant net revenue growth driven by market share gains and upside from foreign exchange volatility, enhancing their competitive edge in the payment processing sector.
- Arista and Cisco Buy Ratings: Truist initiates buy ratings for Arista Networks and Cisco, citing their high-quality business scale and thematic attractiveness, particularly in the data center growth space, which presents underappreciated opportunities.
- 10X Genomics Upgrade: William Blair upgrades 10X Genomics from market perform to outperform, highlighting its pivotal role in AI drug discovery and improved profitability, which is expected to drive future growth following five consecutive topline beats.
- MiniMed Platform Outlook: Morgan Stanley initiates MiniMed at overweight with a $19 price target, projecting that its differentiated diabetes management platform will drive growth and margin expansion, particularly given the significant underpenetration in the U.S. market.
See More
BNP Paribas Launches Comprehensive Coverage on Restaurant Sector
- High-Quality Concepts: Analyst Steve McManus from BNP Paribas emphasizes that high-quality restaurant concepts like Wingstop, Shake Shack, and Dutch Bros possess strong unit economics and unique growth drivers, outperforming those reliant on macro recovery.
- Wingstop Investment Opportunity: BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Wingstop with an Outperform rating and a price target of $275, based on a 30X EV/EBITDA multiple, anticipating a sales acceleration in 2027, with current share prices reflecting understood near-term sales pressures.
- Shake Shack Earnings Growth: Shake Shack also received an Outperform rating, with analysts noting that after several years of volatility, it is entering a more durable earnings growth phase, improving the risk/reward profile as execution stabilizes.
- Dutch Bros Market Potential: BNP Paribas is bullish on Dutch Bros, highlighting its unique drive-thru beverage platform and loyal Gen Z customer base, which positions it as a durable share gainer in the fast-growing specialty beverage market, with a price target of $73.
See More
Restaurant Stocks Face Inflation and Economic Volatility Challenges
- Industry Decline: The S&P 500 Hotels, Restaurants, and Leisure sector is down approximately 4% in 2026, while the broader benchmark index has fallen 1.8%, indicating the restaurant industry's struggles amid inflation and uneven economic growth.
- Fast-Food Chains Struggling: DoorDash's stock has plummeted over 27%, Chipotle is down nearly 12%, and Wendy's has lost 15% year-to-date, reflecting shifts in consumer spending habits and the impact of GLP-1 drugs on dining out.
- Impact of GLP-1 Drugs: Research indicates that households with GLP-1 users experienced an 8% short-term decline in food-away-from-home spending, which could significantly affect sales at quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, particularly among lower-income consumers.
- Labor Market Volatility: The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.4% in February, correlating with weak restaurant demand, as fast-casual and quick-service restaurants reported stagnant or declining same-store sales, highlighting the sensitivity of younger consumers to labor market changes.
See More
Shake Shack Stock Price Fluctuation Analysis
- Minor Stock Increase: Shake Shack's shares rose by 0.063% to $86.86 in after-hours trading on Thursday, despite a 6.23% decline during regular trading, indicating market caution regarding its future performance.
- Impact of Oil Prices: The surge in crude oil prices due to geopolitical conflicts led to a decline in Shake Shack's stock during afternoon trading, raising concerns about rising operational costs and potential decreases in consumer spending, which affects the food service industry.
- Insider Stock Sale: COO Stephanie Sentell sold 225 shares at $93.60 on March 6 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan while retaining 15,342 shares, which may exert downward pressure on the stock price.
- Board Member Resignation: Shake Shack confirmed that director Joshua Silverman will resign effective May 1, reducing the board from nine to eight members, although the company stated this was not due to any disputes, which may affect investor confidence in corporate governance.
See More
Two Restaurant Stocks: Earnings Surprises and Distinct Market Conditions
Earnings Growth: Shake Shack and CAVA Group reported significant earnings growth, with Shake Shack achieving a total revenue of $400.5 million in Q4 2025, up nearly 22% year-over-year, while CAVA Group's revenue hit $1.2 billion, growing 22.5% compared to 2024.
Expansion and Locations: Shake Shack expanded its locations to 659, a 14% increase from the previous year, and CAVA Group increased its restaurant count from 367 to 439 in 2025, indicating aggressive growth strategies for both companies.
Same-Store Sales Performance: Both companies reported low single-digit growth in same-store sales, with CAVA at 0.5% and Shake Shack at 2.1%, which is notable given the broader industry challenges with negative same-store sales growth.
Future Outlook: Management for both companies guided for same-store sales growth between 3% and 5% for 2026, suggesting a cautious but optimistic outlook amid ongoing economic pressures and rising costs.
See More
