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StockStory has picked two profitable stocks to watch, Chipotle and SEI Investments, and one to avoid, AGCO. Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) has a 14.7% trailing 12-month GAAP operating margin and revenue of $12.42 billion. StockStory cites its push into new territories and strong returns on capital. The shares trade at $30.43, or 24.9x forward earnings. SEI Investments (NASDAQ:SEIC) has a 28.9% margin. Revenue grew 10.9% a year over the last two years, while earnings per share rose 22.1% a year, helped by share buybacks. The stock trades at $109.36, or 15.8x forward earnings. AGCO (NYSE:AGCO), a farm machinery maker, has a 5.8% margin. Sales were flat over five years, and earnings per share fell 5.5% a year. Its shares trade at $104.50, or 16.2x forward earnings.

Coffee news club: week of October 12. Published on October 12, 2026 Would you like a burrito with your coffee? Starbucks reportedly mulls Chipotle takeover. Plus, bacteria-boosted Liberica, and coffee farming in Sicily. 'Starbucks has explored takeover of Chipotle in restaurant megadeal' - via Financial Times. In 2024, Starbucks appointed Chipotle head Brian Niccol as CEO, tasking him with reviving the coffee giant's fortunes the way he did for the burrito chain. Last week the Financial Times (FT) reported that Starbucks has "explored a takeover" of Niccol's former company. According to reporting by James Fontanella-Khan, Arash Massoudi, Oliver Barnes, and Gregory Meyer, the "ambitious gambit" would represent the largest ever merger in the restaurant sector. Chipotle's market value is nearly $39 billion, while Starbucks is worth around $107 billion, according to Reuters. A combined company would have annual sales of nearly $50 billion. Starbucks has reportedly "worked with advisors" on a takeover proposal, although the FT's sources indicate that the plans are preliminary and may never come to fruition due to the difficulty of completing a merger of this size. Starbucks declined to comment and Chipotle didn't respond to the FT's request. In February, Scott Boatwright, who replaced Niccol as Chipotle CEO, launched his own turnaround plan for Chipotle dubbed "Recipe for Growth" in the wake of sluggish sales. Chipotle's stock has fallen nearly 20% over the past year, according to the FT, in part due to consumer trepidation surrounding cyclospora outbreaks, a parasitic foodborne illness, tied to produce supplier Taylor Farms. 'Gut bacteria recipe turns ordinary Liberica coffee into award-winning specialty beans' - via bioengineer.org. Fermentation is a crucial part of coffee processing, and over the years researchers have shown how particular techniques can significantly improve coffee quality. In 2025, Brazilian scientists used self-induced anaerobic fermentation to bring underripe cherries up to specialty grade, while earlier this year Chinese researchers used a naturally occurring fungus to do the same with commodity-grade coffee. The latest approach comes from researchers at the University of Jambi in Indonesia, who explored the possibilities of improving the quality of Liberica coffee. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides are bacteria often used in the fermentation of food products like sauerkraut, and are also found in the digestive tracts of civets. Civets are the animals that eat and digest coffee cherries to produce the highly sought after - and highly controversial - kopi luwak. Using starter cultures obtained from Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, the researchers fermented Liberica beans anaerobically for either 48 or 72 hours, before processing and roasting them. The resulting samples included coffee fermented with each bacterium for both durations, as well as the two bacteria combined. A trio of trained tasters from the Indonesian Coffee and Cacao Research Institute then assessed the samples using the Specialty Coffee Association's 100-point cupping form. All the samples scored above the specialty floor of 80 points, compared with the control's score of 77.71. The 72-hour co-fermentation using both bacteria earned a score of 87.57. The researchers noted increased presence of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids and caffeic acid in the fermented samples, as well as a rise in antioxidant activity. Intriguingly, caffeine content decreased by a statistically significant amount in the fermented samples, especially in the sample that combined the two bacteria. The researchers hope their findings can help develop a way to produce "artificial" civet coffee and, more broadly, improve the sensory quality of Liberica coffee. 'A lawsuit accuses Starbucks of mislabeling 8 'sugar-free' protein drinks' - via the Associated Press. Due to its size and prominence, Starbucks is often the target of lawsuits. The latest one, filed in federal court on October 2, alleges that eight protein lattes and matchas labeled "sugar-free" on the coffee giant's menus are anything but. As Dee-Ann Durbin reports for the Associated Press, the lawsuit claims the drinks actually contain 13-21 grams of sugar per "venti" serving. The drinks are made with milk and thus contain lactose, a naturally occurring sugar. Because of this, the complaint claims that the company's marketing of the products as "sugar-free" violates federal labeling regulations. According to the complaint, the FDA requires food or beverages labeled as "sugar-free" to contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar. This isn't the first lawsuit Starbucks has faced in recent years. The coffee giant has been sued, more than once, for false advertising over its pledge of "100% ethical coffee sourcing", and has also faced lawsuits over its "discriminatory" hiring practices and opposition to unionization. "Consumers avoid sugar for various reasons, whether that be general health, diabetes and blood glucose levels or other factors, and for many, a staunch mislabeling like this is significant," Steve Berman of the Hagens Berman law firm told the AP. Durbin reports that Hagens Berman specializes in class action cases, and is in fact the same firm that most recently sued Starbucks over its ethical sourcing claims. A Starbucks spokesperson told the AP that the company "believe[s] these claims have no merit" and intends to "vigorously defend ourselves in this matter." Coffee and the climate crisis. As the climate changes and the planet heats, ideal areas for coffee production are shifting. Research indicates that more than half the world's current coffee-growing land could become unsuitable by 2050. Some farmers are already moving their production uphill in search of cooler weather. As coffee land is lost, new regions are also becoming viable. Scientists are exploring the possibility of growing coffee in Florida, while China's ideal coffee-growing regions are expanding. Coffee production is even creeping northwards to Europe. In Spain, Finca Castellvilar near Barcelona claims to be the "world's first coffee plantation outside a tropical or subtropical climate." However, so far it has only harvested a few kilos. To the south east, on the Italian island of Sicily, a farm on the outskirts of Palermo is further ahead. As Gabriele Barbati reports for Euronews, the Morettino family farm is now producing around 100 kilos of coffee cherries each year. The project, which has been underway in some form for more than 30 years, is a collaboration with the Palermo's Botanical Garden and the University of Palermo to study how tropical plants adapt to the Mediterranean climate. The harvests are still too small for commercial sale, but the Morettinos, who are coffee roasters, occasionally offer tastings at their coffee lab in Palermo. While the Morettinos and others have demonstrated that coffee production in southern Europe is feasible, it may never be realistic at scale. Coffee requires stable, relatively cool temperatures and reliable rainfall to flourish. Europe has faced extreme heat and wildfires in recent years, with Sicily alone enduring a "brutal" drought as recently as 2024. The Italian National Research Council estimated that 70% of the island is at risk of desertification due to the climate crisis. Fionn Pooler Fionn Pooler is a coffee roaster and freelance writer currently based in the Scottish Highlands who has worked in the specialty coffee industry for over a decade. Since 2016 he has written the Pourover, a newsletter and blog that uses interviews and critical analysis to explore coffee's place in the wider, changing world (and also yell at corporations). Join 12,500+ coffee leaders and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.

Chipotle stock extends 6% rally on report Starbucks explored takeover; analysts split. Top 5 this week. October 9, 2026 3 min. read Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) shares rose 0.37% to $32.80 in Friday premarket trading after gaining 6.21% on Thursday, as investors assessed reports that Starbucks had explored acquiring the burrito chain. The advance followed a Financial Times report that Starbucks had considered a potential takeover, although neither company has confirmed a transaction. The uncertainty has drawn differing assessments from Wall Street analysts about whether an acquisition would be financially and strategically feasible. Starbucks explored Chipotle acquisition, but formal offer remains unclear. According to the Financial Times, Starbucks worked with advisers in recent months on a potential acquisition of Chipotle. However, the publication could not establish whether Starbucks had submitted a formal bid or whether its plans remained active. People familiar with the discussions cautioned that the deal might never materialize, given the challenges involved in combining two major restaurant businesses. Chipotle had a market valuation of about $41 billion after Thursday's rally. An acquisition at that scale would surpass Burger King's $11.4 billion purchase of Tim Hortons in 2014, making it the largest restaurant takeover on record. No proposed purchase price or transaction terms have been disclosed. A combination would also reunite Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol with Chipotle, which he led from 2018 until his departure in 2024. During his tenure, the chain expanded its digital business and recovered from earlier food-safety problems. Chipotle shares have lost roughly 40% of their value since his departure. Responding to the takeover report, Starbucks told Reuters that it does not comment on rumors and speculation. The company emphasized that it remained "laser-focused" on executing its two-year Back to Starbucks turnaround strategy and expressed confidence in its long-term growth prospects. Chipotle did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. Citi sees strategic opportunities, while TD Cowen questions feasibility. The reported acquisition attracted contrasting assessments from Citi and TD Cowen, particularly over whether the potential benefits could justify the transaction's size. Citi analyst Jon Tower identified several possible advantages, including opportunities to accelerate Chipotle's international expansion through Starbucks' established global licensing network. Tower also highlighted possible savings from combining administrative and marketing operations. Chipotle's cash generation and lack of conventional debt could also make the company an attractive acquisition target. However, Citi acknowledged that financing such a large transaction at prevailing interest rates could dilute Starbucks' earnings per share. The companies' different operating models could also limit procurement efficiencies. Citi maintained its Buy rating on Chipotle with a $45 price target. TD Cowen took a more cautious position. Analyst Andrew Charles described a deal as unlikely, questioning whether an acquisition involving a baseline valuation exceeding $44 billion before any takeover premium would fit Starbucks' existing priorities. That estimate reflects Chipotle's enterprise value, including operating lease obligations, rather than a disclosed purchase price. No bid amount has been announced. Charles argued that Niccol's attention remained directed toward improving Starbucks' domestic operations. Pursuing another large restaurant business could conflict with that strategy, particularly while the company continues investing in staffing and store improvements. Starbucks has invested more than $500 million in staffing and employee hours under its turnaround program. Its adjusted operating margin rose to 14.4% in fiscal third-quarter 2026 from 10.1% a year earlier, but remained below the 16.7% recorded two years earlier. Despite his skepticism, Charles acknowledged Niccol's familiarity with Chipotle as a reason Starbucks might evaluate the opportunity. Chipotle Tokenized Stock also moves higher. Separately, Chipotle Tokenized Stock (CMGon) was quoted at $32.72, up 6.47% over the preceding 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. The Ondo-issued tokenized instrument provides economic exposure linked to Chipotle shares but trades separately from NYSE-listed CMG stock. Its 24-hour percentage change therefore covers a different measurement period from Thursday's regular-session stock gain. Zabi is a crypto and finance author with over a decade of experience in the financial sector. His work centers on digital assets, market trends, and the intersection of traditional finance and crypto. In addition to overseeing multiple finance-focused platforms, he actively follows stock and crypto markets to provide informed perspectives on industry developments.